UFC Fight Night 247 loses another co-main event one day out

It was a rough day at the UFC Fight Night 247 weigh-ins.

LAS VEGAS – It was a rough day at the UFC Fight Night 247 weigh-ins.

Two fighters missed their marks on the scale. But even though he hit his mark, [autotag]Ricky Turcios[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was pulled from his bantamweight co-main event against [autotag]Bernardo Sopaj[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), it was announced after the official weigh-ins, for medical reasons.

That fight only had been elevated to the co-main event when an original matchup between former champion Cody Garbrandt and Miles Johns was scrapped when Garbrandt pulled out earlier in the week. Now the middleweight bout between UFC newcomer and former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Gerald Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) presumably will get the esteemed second-billed spot, though the UFC has not yet made a formal announcement of the changes.

It is not yet known which fight from the prelims will move up to the planned five-fight main card, though all the fights stream on ESPN+, regardless. UFC Fight Night 247 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The new UFC Fight Night 247 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates
  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Luana Pinheiro vs. Gillian Robertson
  • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Dusko Todorovic

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Denise Gomes vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Cortavious Romious
  • Zach Scroggin vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
  • Charlie Radtke vs. Matthew Semelsberger
  • Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Cody Stamann
  • Tresean Gore vs. Antonio Trocoli
  • Melissa Mullins vs. Klaudia Sygula

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 247.