The UFC’s return to Nashville is now missing half of its main event.
Umar Nurmagomedov is out of his scheduled UFC on ESPN 50 main event vs. Cory Sandhagen. The five-round bantamweight bout was expected to headline the Aug. 5 event at Bridgestone Arena.
Sources with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the withdrawal but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. News was first reported Wednesday by “The Schmozone.”
Nurmagomedov suffered an injury to his shoulder that will require surgery, his manager told ESPN.
A younger cousin of former champion Khabib, Nurmagomedov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was supposed to compete in his first promotional main event after three finishes in four UFC appearances. He most recently competed in January when he knocked out Raoni Barcleos.
Sandhagen (16-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) has won back-to-back fights following two consecutive failed title bids. Since championship losses to T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan, Sandhagen has defeated Song Yadong and Marlon Vera.
With the change, the UFC on ESPN 50 lineup includes
- Cory Sandhagen vs. TBA
- Jessica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez
- Said Nurmagomedov vs. Kyler Phillips
- Ion Cutelaba vs. Ovince Saint Preux
- Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ludovit Klein
- Damon Jackson vs. Billy Quarantillo
- Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
- Asu Almabaev vs. Ode Osbourne
- Cody Durden vs. Jake Hadley
- Jesse Butler vs. Sean Woodson
- Diego Lopes vs. Gavin Tucker
- Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur
- Carlston Harris vs. Jeremiah Wells
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.
