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In a surprising turn of events, fans eager to see Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis (28-12 MMA, 19-10 UFC) clash with Jhonata Diniz (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 246 on Saturday night will have to wait. Late Friday, less than a day before the scheduled bout, the UFC announced that Lewis was removed from the card due to undisclosed medical reasons.
Lewis’s absence from Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins already raised eyebrows, with the UFC confirming the fight was still on. However, as Friday evening unfolded, it became clear that Lewis wouldn’t be competing after all. This last-minute withdrawal is unusual, especially for an athlete like Lewis who’s known for showing up, whether he’s healthy or not. Importantly, the medical issue isn’t related to a weight-cutting issue; Lewis weighed in at the heavyweight limit of 266 pounds earlier that day. Yet, the exact cause of the removal remains a mystery.
For Diniz, this turn of events is understandably disappointing. Undefeated with an 8-0 record, he was ready to showcase his skills against one of the UFC’s most dangerous and entertaining heavyweights. The matchup with Lewis marked a major opportunity for Diniz to make his mark in the division, and the sudden cancellation leaves his next move uncertain.
UFC Fight Night 246, set to take place at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, will continue with 13 bouts. Here’s the updated main card lineup:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi
Erin Blanchfield vs. Rose Namajunas
Caio Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
Trevin Giles vs. Mike Malott
Pedro Munhoz vs. Aiemann Zahabi
Ariane da Silva vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Victor Henry vs. Charles Jourdain
Jack Shore vs. Youssef Zalal
Rodrigo Nascimento vs. Alexandr Romanov
Garrett Armfield vs. Serhiy Sidey
Chad Anheliger vs. Cody Gibson
Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Ivana Petrovic
While fans may be disappointed by the absence of Lewis, the card is still stacked with talent. The main event between former flyweight champ Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi promises fireworks, and fan favorites Erin Blanchfield and Rose Namajunas will face off in an exciting co-main event.
For now, Lewis's future remains uncertain as he addresses these health issues. But for "The Black Beast," this break may be what he needs to return stronger in the future—hopefully delivering the knockout power fans have come to love. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on the octagon Saturday night as the remaining 13 fights promise an action-packed evening.
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