John Lineker Out of Sunday’s UFC Fight Night Pittsburgh Due to Dengue Fever
Ultimate Fighting Championship has lost another bout for Sunday’s UFC Fight Night in Pittsburgh.
Brazilian bantamweight John Lineker, who was slated to meet Cody Garbrandt on the show’s main card, has been forced to withdraw after contracting dengue fever. The organization has not yet announced whether Garbrandt will remain on the card against a different opponent.
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Lineker, who would have flown to the U.S. tomorrow, announced the news on Monday via social media.
“Everyone knows about the dengue epidemic in our city, and although the necessary precautions were taken, John Lineker contracted dengue,” read a statement posted to the account of Lineker, who hails from Paranagua in the Brazilian state of Parana.
Last week, state officials confirmed that Parana has seen more than 1,000 new cases of the disease in 2016. Paranagua has been labeled an “epidemic city” due to a recent dengue surge which has resulted in four deaths so far this year.
Lineker, 25, would have gone in search of his fourth consecutive win and his second since moving up to the bantamweight division. The former flyweight contender holds an Octagon record of 7-2 but has famously struggled to make weight for his bouts.
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