UFC 326 fight cancelled at last minute due to weight issues as start time for event changes

Jeong Yeong Lee’s scheduled featherweight clash with Gaston Bolanos at UFC 326 has been scrapped.

The UFC announced on Friday that Lee would not make the weigh-ins for the Las Vegas show, which is headlined by a BMF title fight between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira.

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All fighters, bar Lee, were present at the UFC 326 weigh-ins and successfully tipped the scales.

The 12-fight card will now begin at 5.30pm ET (2.30pm PT and 10.30pm in the UK).

Why was UFC 326 fight cancelled?

UFC commentator Jon Anik broke the news before it was confirmed on the UFC weigh-in show.

“The Gaston Bolanos fight with Jeong Yeong Lee is off,” broadcaster Dan Hellie said.

“So the fights will now start at 5.30pm ET. Our pre-show will be at 1.30pm PT, so that’s 4.30 ET.

“Lee’s not gonna be able to make weight, which is why that fight is off…

“I think it was more than just a couple of pounds, but I am just finding that out right now. It was last-minute, too, though.”

With Holloway and Oliveira both making weight in Las Vegas on Friday, the main event is now official.

Holloway, the current BMF title holder, weighed in at 155.5lbs while Oliveira hit the scales at 156lbs, meeting the lightweight limit.

The pair enter the headline bout on the back of huge victories, having also both been knocked out by current lightweight champion Ilia Topuria in the past two years.

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Holloway suffered the first knockout loss of his career against Topuria at UFC 308.

But ‘Blessed’ bounced back by dominating Dustin Poirier in the latter’s retirement fight in June.

Oliveira, meanwhile, was stopped by Topuria in the first round of UFC 317 in the same month as Holloway’s win over Poirier and returned to winning ways in his native Brazil last time out.

Both lightweights have a combined 59 fights in the UFC, with Oliveira’s 21 finishes the most in promotional history.

Holloway needs just 15 minutes and 36 seconds of fight time in the Octagon to break Rafael Dos Anjos’ record for the longest total in UFC history.

The 34-year-old could well break the record this weekend at UFC 326, given his fight with Oliveira, 36, will be contested over five rounds.

UFC Schedule

For all the upcoming fights and results this year, check out talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.

Elsewhere at UFC 326, Caio Borralho faces Reinier de Ridder in a mouth-watering middleweight co-main event, while Rob Font, Raul Rosas Jr, Drew Dober and Gregory Rodrigues all feature.

UFC CEO Dana White is expected to announce the full card for the promotion’s upcoming White House show on the night.