Why was the fight between Anthony Hernandez and Ikram Aliskerov canceled? Exploring the reason behind UFC 298 matchup's cancellation

Anthony Hernandez and Roman Kopylov will open the UFC 298 pay-per-view card, but that was not the original plan from the front office.

Currently 11-2 with one no-contest, Hernandez will be fighting for the first time as a ranked contender as the no. 15 ranked middleweight in the UFC. Although he will be defending his position against a worthy advocate in Kopylov, who is coming off of four straight knockout wins, Hernandez was originally scheduled to face Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 298.

Aliskerov, a 15-1 phenom, was heading into the matchup as a significant favorite to enter the rankings after dismantling Warlley Alves at UFC 294.

However, during the UFC 297 broadcast, Aliskerov had withdrawn from the matchup for reasons unknown at the time. Shortly after, the Russian confirmed the reports on X, citing a staph infection, and Kopylov was announced as his replacement.

In his confirmation post, Aliskerov claimed he would return 'after Ramadan,' which ends in 2024 on April 9.

The UFC 298 bout will be the second attempt from the promotion to put Hernandez and Kopylov together, as the two were previously paired to fight at Noche UFC before Hernandez withdrew with an injury.

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Anthony Hernandez vs. Roman Kopylov preview

In their second booking, rising middleweight contenders Anthony Hernandez and Roman Kopylov will finally meet at UFC 298 in the first fight of the pay-per-view main card.

With both fighters riding four-fight win streaks into their Feb. 17 clash, the matchup will be a stereotypical striker vs. grappler bout on paper. As the 2-1 betting favorite of the fight, Hernandez enters the matchup off of a signature win over Edmen Shahbazyan and has not lost since his stunning submission upset win over Rodolfo Vieira.

Kopylov, while lacking a win over a big-name opponent, gained fan attention in his last win with a body shot TKO of Josh Fremd. Undefeated since 2022, the Russian kickboxer also put together a highlight reel of finishes with a head-kick knockout of Claudio Ribeiro and beatdowns of Punahele Soriano and Alessio Di Chirico.

In anticipation of the fight, fans appear to lean towards Hernandez, with the betting line shifting in his favor since opening at a closer number.