5 UFC fights that were canceled at the last minute

#4. Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon at UFC on ESPN 37

Donald Cerrone and Joe Lauzon are both legends of the sport.

However, both men are nearing their forties, forcing them to contend with the consequences of their advancing age while years of accumulative damage from every bout begins to take its toll. Furthermore, MMA as a whole has passed them by in terms of their skill-sets.

Thus, booking matchups for either fighter is difficult without feeding them to younger, fresher fighters who will likely overcome them in one-sided affairs.

'Cowboy' has lost 5 of his last 6 fights, with the only non-loss being due to a no-contest after Niko Price's positive drug test. Similarly, 'J-Lau' has lost 4 of his last 6 bouts. Neither fighter has managed to rack up a win streak in years. So, a matchup between the two seemed like a fitting swansong for their MMA careers.

The bout was scheduled for UFC 274, but Cerrone was forced to withdraw from the event due to illness.

In an effort to honor both men, Dana White rescheduled the fight for UFC on ESPN 37 in Austin, Texas. However, mere hours before the event began, Lauzon suffered a knee injury, forcing him to withdraw from the bout in an absurd twist. White likened the situation to the improbable difficulties encountered when he tried scheduling Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson to face each other.

---

#3. Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo at UFC 189

In 2015, Conor McGregor was a fast-rising star with the MMA world in the palm of his hand. Still a featherweight at the time, the Irishman had set his sights on the title that Jose Aldo had held for years in one of the division's longest-ever win streaks.

McGregor himself went on an unprecedented run through the featherweight division, knocking out every foe with the exception of Max Holloway. 'Blessed' remains one of the few UFC fighters to have never suffered a knockdown, let alone a knockout.

The bout between 'The Notorious' and Aldo was scheduled for UFC 189. The UFC threw all of its weight behind its promotional efforts for the event, with both fighters embarking on a world tour to generate excitement for the matchup. Alas, as the event neared, the Brazilian legend withdrew from the fight mere days away from having to make the walk to the octagon.

Aldo unfortunately suffered a rib injury that left him unable to compete, causing Chad Mendes to step in as a last-minute replacement in what proved to be one of the most exciting bouts of the year.

McGregor won the back-and-forth affair to claim the interim featherweight championship. This set up a hotly anticipated showdown with his Brazilian rival at UFC 194, which he ultimately won.