Bryan Caraway injured, out of UFC Fight Night 103 bout against Jimmie Rivera
An undisclosed injury has forced UFC bantamweight contender Bryan Caraway out of his pivotal UFC Fight Night 103 clash against Jimmie Rivera in Phoenix, AZ.
The news was first reported by MMA Junkie on Wednesday.
With just 11 days before fight night, the UFC is actively looking for a replacement to fight Rivera on the card.
The situation presents an unfortunate turn of events for both Caraway (21-7) and Rivera (20-1), as the match-up between the two represented a major chance for the winner to move into title contention. Caraway is currently the No. 5 ranked bantamweight on the UFC roster, while Rivera is slotted in at No. 6.
Regardless, Rivera still hopes to remain on the card. The 27-year-old Tiger Schulmann product holds an undefeated 4-0 record in the UFC, punctuated by a three-round romp over longtime contender Urijah Faber at UFC 203. With that win, Rivera became the first man to beat Faber in a non-title bantamweight contest in the UFC or the WEC.
Late Wednesday, bantamweight contender John Dodson threw his hat into the ring as a potential replacement for Caraway, though it remains to be seen if the UFC will take him up on his offer.
@jimmierivera135 I hear you need an opponent next week for #UFCPhoenix #LetsDoThis you in? @ufc @danawhite @seanshelby
— John Dodson III (@JohnDodsonMMA) January 5, 2017
UFC Fight Night 103 takes place on Jan. 15 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ. Featherweight prospect Yair Rodriguez takes on UFC Hall of Famer B.J. Penn in the night’s main event, which airs live on FOX Sports 1.