It’s been a busy week of news in the world of MMA, and the news didn’t stop coming in the last 24 hours, with the cancellation of a bout this weekend plus the bookings of a new scrap. And, USADA notified another athlete of a potential anti-doping violation. Here’s all the news:
Jack Marshman vs. Brad Scott Cancelled
We have some bad news to report as a welterweight bout set for this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 127 card between Jack Marshman and Brad Scott has been cancelled over concerns of a bad weight cut by Marshman. He was set to make his welterweight debut but evidently could not make it safely down to 170lbs. It’s hopeful that the fight will be rescheduled for an upcoming fight card, but at the same time, it may be that the cut to 170lbs is just too much for Marshman’s body to handle.
Justin Willis vs. Chase Sherman, UFC Fight Night 128
While we lost a fight, we also gained a new one, as heavyweights Justin Willis and Chase Sherman will meet at UFC Fight Night 128. The card takes place April 21 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. MMAFighting.com first broke the news. Willis (6-1) is currently riding a six-fight win streak and is 2-0 in the UFC. A training partner of UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, Willis is just 30 years of age and is one of the top prospects in the UFC heavyweight division. Sherman (11-4) is 2-3 in the UFC and is coming off of a KO loss to Shamil Abdurakhimov. He’s a fun fighter to watch but he takes too much damage in his fights and has already suffered two brutal knockout losses in the UFC. Though Sherman is a fan favorite and always puts on an exciting fight, I fully expect Willis to be a solid favorite heading into this fight due to his wrestling advantage.
Marco Polo Reyes Notified By USADA
USADA notified UFC lightweight fighte Marco Polo Reyes of a potential anti-doping violation in an out-of-competition drug test following his recent UFC Fight Night 124 KO win over Matt Frevola. Keep in mind Reyes has not been suspended by USADA yet and we still don’t know what he tested positive for. Reyes (8-4) is 4-1 inside the Octagon with three knockout wins. He won a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for the knockout win over Frevola, but could potetially lose it barring what USADA discovers from this failed drug test.
