Lewis Forced To Withdraw From UFC Edmonton

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Derrick Lewis has been forced to withdraw from his heavyweight bout again Jhonata Diniz this Saturday (Nov. 2, 2024) at UFC Edmonton live on ESPN+ from inside Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, per a UFC announcement late Friday night.

According to the statement, “Black Beast” was removed from his main card fight due to a “non weight-cut related” medical issue.

Lewis, who made headlines this week after launching an explicit rant about Daniel Cormier, successfully hit the scales on Friday morning to make his heavyweight clash with Diniz official. However, things turned odd when Lewis failed to appear during Friday night’s ceremonial weigh ins (watch HERE). UFC officials assured fight fans that Lewis’ bout with Diniz was still on, but that ended up being a lie.

Out of nowhere UFC officials announced that Lewis would no longer be fighting at UFC Edmonton. It’s unknown at this time what the promotion has planned for Diniz, who was taking a big step up in competition.

It’s a shame considering Lewis was looking to clean up his act and get back into the title hunt, but he’ll have to wait a little longer to prove he’s still a top threat. Lewis has had some back issues in the past and a few other injuries so it’s unknown at this time exactly what prompted the late-notice withdrawal.

Stick with Mania for ongoing updates and more UFC Edmonton coverage.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Edmonton fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card matchups which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Edmonton news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Moreno vs. Albazi” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.