Former middleweight title challenger ruled out of clash with Ismail Naurdiev ahead of Azerbaijan event
Ultimate Fighting Championship has suffered a significant blow ahead of its upcoming event in Baku after Marvin Vettori was forced to withdraw from the card due to injury.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the Italian fighter had been scheduled to face Ismail Naurdiev in what was expected to be one of the standout bouts on the 27 June show.
Vettori later confirmed that he suffered an injury during training camp. According to the former UFC middleweight title challenger, he initially hoped the issue was not serious, but medical examinations revealed a fracture.
“At first I thought the injury was manageable, but the MRI showed a fracture,” Vettori explained. “After that, the doctors told me I could not fight.”
The Italian admitted he was deeply disappointed to miss the event, describing the situation as another difficult moment in a challenging period of his career.
“I’m not in the best psychological state because of the constant obstacles in my career,” he said. “I was really looking forward to fighting in Baku, but everything went in the worst possible direction.”
Vettori remains one of the UFC’s most recognisable middleweights and previously challenged for the division’s championship. His fight with Naurdiev had been viewed as one of the most intriguing match-ups on the card.
According to MMA Mania, doctors expect the Italian to recover within four to six weeks, meaning the UFC could potentially reschedule the bout for a future event if the promotion decides to keep the pairing intact.
The 31-year-old recently changed training camps, relocating from Florida to California in an attempt to refresh his career and work with stronger sparring partners. During camp, he reportedly trained alongside leading UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush.
Naurdiev is currently left without an opponent, with the UFC yet to confirm whether a replacement fighter will be found or if the contest will be removed from the card entirely.
The main event in Baku is still scheduled to feature Rafael Fiziev against Manuel Torres, while another highly anticipated bout will see Shara Magomedov take on Michel Pereira.
