Why did Amir Albazi pull out of UFC Mexico City? Flyweight fighter gives statement after withdrawal

Amir Albazi has withdrawn from his highly-anticipated fight against Brandon Moreno. Their matchup was scheduled to headline the UFC Mexico City event at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, on Feb. 24, 2024.

Iraq's Albazi is currently unbeaten in the UFC and has just one loss in his overall professional MMA career. Many believed that a win for 'The Prince' against fellow 30-year-old UFC flyweight Moreno could catapult him into the title picture. For his part, Mexico's Moreno is a former two-time UFC flyweight champion, and he's heralded as a prominent figure in the 125-pound division.

All things considered, the consensus was that the Amir Albazi UFC Mexico City showdown would be the most high-profile MMA bout of his career thus far. Nevertheless, the social media realm has been rife with rumors of Albazi pulling out of the fight.

Speaking to Carlos Contreras Legaspi, Moreno confirmed that Amir Albazi has withdrawn from their scheduled bout. Albazi has taken to his official X account to address the withdrawal. In a tweet, 'The Prince' explained that a neck injury resulted in the UFC's doctors taking him off the matchup. The Iraqi athlete tweeted:

"Im out of the fight against moreno 24th of february. I have been dealing with a serious neck injury the past weeks. After some scans the UFC doctors decided to pull me out of the fight immediately. I want to apologize to the fans and the @ufc. I will be back inshallah"

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What's next for Brandon Moreno after Amir Albazi's injury withdrawal?

With Amir Albazi's neck injury causing him to withdraw from the much-awaited showdown against Brandon Moreno, the latter has a new opponent. Moreno is set to face Brandon Royval in a rematch at UFC Mexico City on Feb. 24, 2024. In his interview with Carlos Contreras Legaspi, 'The Assassin Baby' touched upon the same.

Presently, the exact timeline of Albazi's return is unclear. Meanwhile, Moreno suggested that he's focused on capturing the UFC flyweight belt, irrespective of which opponent he has to face. The Mexican MMA stalwart indicated that he'd beat Royval, and he could take another fight, too, if the UFC asks him, so as to earn a title shot.

Moreover, Moreno alluded to the anti-climactic injury stoppage that secured him the victory against Royval in their first encounter back in November 2020. Expressing his excitement regarding their rematch transpiring in his native Mexico, he said:

"Yeah, that [first Royval] fight was 2020. Yes. It was a really fast, quick fight. Royval had this problem in the shoulder. But I really believe I was winning the fight. So, I don't know. He was saying a lot of different things on social media about our fight in 2020. But at the end, we are gonna fight again, in front of my people. And I'm excited for that."

Watch Moreno's assessment below: