UFC Rio Loses Two Main Card Fights After Oliveira, Fiziev Bout Canceled

The UFC's return to Rio de Janeiro on October 11 has been plagued by multiple fight cancellations, most notably the main event featuring Charles Oliveira. Oliveira's original opponent, Rafael Fiziev, withdrew due to injury, leaving Oliveira without a confirmed replacement despite several fighters publicly volunteering. However, many of these fighters, including top lightweight Benoit Saint-Denis, declined the short-notice matchup, with Saint-Denis's manager explicitly ruling out the fight. Oliveira criticized these fighters for backing out after expressing willingness online, calling their behavior "not a good look." Additionally, another key bout between Brazilian prospect Gabriel Bonfim and Randy Brown was scrapped after Brown's withdrawal, further weakening the card. These setbacks have cast uncertainty over the UFC Rio event, challenging the promotion to quickly secure new matchups and maintain momentum for its Brazilian stars.