UFC Rio loses key fight featuring two brothers of legendary fighters just hours before weigh-ins

UFC heavyweight Mohammed Usman has withdrawn from UFC Rio on hours’ notice.

UFC Rio is a solid UFC Fight Night card with a clash between lightweights Charles Oliveira and Mateusz Gamrot headlining the event. This will mark Oliveira’s return to the Octagon for the first time since a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria for the then-vacant belt at UFC 317.

One of the intriguing matchups on the Oliveira vs. Gamrot undercard was a heavyweight clash between the brothers of two of the UFC’s biggest stars. Mohammed Usman and Valter Walker, the brothers of Kamaru Usman and Johnny Walker, were set to clash in the Octagon this weekend.

But just hours before their fight, Usman has reportedly withdrawn from the bout due to an injury, according to MMA journalist Laerte Viana.

Mohammed Usman vs. Valter Walker canceled after a last-second medical issue

As of this writing, the exact nature of Usman’s injury is uncertain. Viana is also reporting that the UFC is actively looking to find a last-minute replacement opponent to fight against Walker this weekend.

Usman’s injury is an unfortunate setback after he picked up his first UFC win in almost two years at UFC Baku earlier this year, defeating Hamdy Abdelwahab by unanimous decision. Usman has traded wins and losses in his UFC tenure since winning The Ultimate Fighter 30 heavyweight championship.

Before his win over Abdelwahab, Usman lost back-to-back fights against Thomas Petersen and Mick Parkin.

Meanwhile, Walker entered UFC Rio fight week on a three-fight winning streak, with all three wins coming by first-round heel hook submission. He most recently tapped out Kennedy Nzechukwu in July in just 54 seconds.

If Walker doesn’t get a late replacement opponent for UFC Rio, the UFC matchmakers could potentially reschedule Walker vs. Usman for a later date. The UFC’s next pay-per-view card takes place at UFC 321 later this month, headlined by Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane.