Middleweight champ Robert Whittaker out of UFC 234

Robert Whittaker, right, is announced the winner by unanimous decision against Yoel Romero in the UFC 213 interim middleweight title bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Saturday, July 8, 2017. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco

More Stories

Conor McGregor takes the octagon for a lightweight bout against Dustin Poirier during the UFC 2 ...

UFC superstar won’t fight in main event of Las Vegas card

Nyjah Huston of the United States celebrates on the podium after winning the men finals at the ...

Hill: Olympic skateboarder adds to growing legacy of UFC Apex

Max Holloway celebrates after knocking out Justin Gaethje during a UFC 300 mixed martial arts l ...

Wild last-second KO at UFC 300 results in ‘huge win’ for bettors

UFC superstar Conor McGregor sets return bout in Las Vegas

By Adam Hill / Las Vegas Review-Journal

February 9, 2019 - 1:02 pm

UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will not be able to defend his belt in the main event of UFC 234 in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday night.

Whittaker was hospitalized due to a hernia and his headlining bout against Kelvin Gastelum has been removed from the card.

Sources close to the organization confirmed the news first reported by ESPN on Saturday morning.

Whittaker is expected to undergo a medical procedure today to correct the issue.

A middleweight bout between rising star Israel Adesanya and former champ Anderson Silva will now serve as the main event with a lightweight bout between Lando Vannata and Marcos Rosa Mariano added to the pay-per-view card.

More MMA: Follow at CoveringTheCage.com and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.

UFC superstar won’t fight in main event of Las Vegas card

By Adam Hill / RJ

June 13, 2024 - 9:34 pm

One of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts is no longer fighting in the main event of UFC 303 on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena.

Hill: Olympic skateboarder adds to growing legacy of UFC Apex

By Adam Hill / RJ

May 25, 2024 - 10:21 pm

A venue constructed as a production facility allowed the UFC to thrive during the pandemic and has now become part of the Las Vegas sports landscape.

Wild last-second KO at UFC 300 results in ‘huge win’ for bettors

By Todd Dewey / RJ

April 14, 2024 - 11:46 am

Max Holloway’s brutal knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 dealt an historic loss to an offshore sportsbook and delivered a big win to Caesars Sportsbook bettors.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor sets return bout in Las Vegas

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 14, 2024 - 12:21 am

Former two-division champion Conor McGregor will make a return to competition in June at T-Mobile Arena, nearly three years after his last UFC bout.

Max Holloway punches Justin Gaethje for a knockout during a UFC 300 mixed martial arts lightwei ...

Buzzer-beating KO wows crowd at historic UFC 300 card — PHOTOS

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 14, 2024 - 12:02 am

Max Holloway landed one of the wildest knockout punches the UFC has seen in one of the biggest cards in the organization’s history Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Mark Coleman runs into the octagon prior to taking on hi ...

Hill: Ex-UFC fighter ‘blessed’ after nearly dying while saving parents

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 13, 2024 - 7:29 pm

UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman was thrilled to be in attendance for UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. He’s just happy to be alive after surviving a fire last month.

Max Holloway poses during an UFC 276 weigh-in event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Friday, Jul ...

‘BMF’ title bout stands out on stacked UFC 300 card

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 12, 2024 - 7:01 pm

Even on a card that features two title bouts and 12 current or former champions, the buzz for UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena is mostly centered on a mythical belt.

Bo Nickal, top, submits Jamie Pickett submits in a lightweight bout during UFC 285 at T-Mobile ...

Rising star not ‘second coming of Jesus Christ,’ UFC 300 foe says

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 11, 2024 - 5:12 pm

The hype around UFC middleweight Bo Nickal is growing after several flawless performances, but his opponent at UFC 300 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena isn’t fully buying in.

UFC president Dana White answers a question at a news conference following the UFC 285 fight ca ...

‘Bite of the Night’: UFC fighter bitten during event gets mark tattooed

By Taylor Lane / RJ

March 25, 2024 - 7:29 pm

After fighter Andre “Mascote” Lima was bitten Saturday night during a fight, he was given a special bonus by UFC president Dana White.

UFC will pay $335M to settle antitrust lawsuits

By Mick Akers / RJ

March 20, 2024 - 5:03 pm

UFC’s parent company agreed to a $335 million settlement tied to two antitrust lawsuits filed by former fighters against the Las Vegas-based MMA organization.