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UFC 316 loses promising ranked heavyweight fight

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 9:43 AM ET

UFC 316 on June 7 has been marred by a fight cancellation, one featuring a very promising ranked heavyweight standout.

The New Jersey PPV is headlined by the bantamweight title rematch between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili , and co-headlined by Kayla Harrison's first title shot against reigning champion Julianna Pena.

The event's undercard is just as promising, with names like Jose Aldo, Johnny Walker, and Marlon Vera fitting the bill. Unfortunately, another eye-catching matchup has been cancelled.

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Shamil Gaziev out. Waldo Cortes-Acosta in against Top-10 heavyweight at UFC 316

Reported by Edouard Paiement on X, No. 12-ranked heavyweight Shamil Gaziev has withdrawn from his fight with No. 7 Serghei Spivac.

The fight was meant to be Gaziev's return to form after he botched his first main event against Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 2024 and suffered a career-first defeat. Gaziev rebounded with two wins against fringe opposition and had an opportunity to break into the top ten with a victory.

News was posted 2 days ago on Instagram #Gaziev OUT, replaced by WCA https://t.co/0wiL4vYbdZ pic.twitter.com/QNX2v6juze
— Edouard Paiement (@KnockoutAlerts) April 23, 2025

Replacing Gaziev on the night is 13-1, No. 11 Waldo Cortes-Acosta, who rides a four-fight winning streak. Costa caught flak for lackluster performances against Andrei Arlovski and Robelis Despaigne, but managed to secure a TKO against Ryan Spann in March.

'Salsa Boy' could be looking at UFC heavyweight title contention very soon, if Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is settled this year.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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