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Andreas Hale, ESPN
UFC 303 underwent a major overhaul once it was revealed that Conor McGregor had sustained injuries that would not allow him to face Michael Chandler. But he wasn’t the only fighter dealing with injuries as former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill was also forced to withdraw from his co-main event spot against Carlos Ulberg.
Hill took to Instagram to reveal a litany of injuries that caused him to take himself out of his light heavyweight fight on June 29. According to Hill, he was dealing with two tears in his meniscus, a sprained ACL and a Baker’s Cyst that required significant drainage.
Hill (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was looking to make a quick turnaround after losing to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira by first-round knockout at UFC 300 in April. He was initially booked to face Khalil Rountree Jr., but Rountree withdrew from the fight after accidentally ingesting a banned substance. Ulberg, a rising light heavyweight, was called upon to replace Rountree, but now Hill will also be sidelined.
Before losing to Pereira, Hill had made a quick return from a major injury after he ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing in a basketball game last July. It is unknown how long Hill, 33, will be out, but the former champion promised to “be back soon.”
UFC 303 has received a new main and co-main event due to the injuries suffered by McGregor and Hill.
Alex Pereira will step up on short notice to face former champion Jiri Prochazka in a rematch of their 2023 fight while featherweights Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes meet in the co-main event.
As for Ulberg, he will be facing former title contender Anthony Smith on the main card.