Sometimes, traveling to a fight is more difficult than the fight itself. Just ask Russian finisher Mairbek Taisumov, who has been pulled from his upcoming bout with Nik Lentz at UFC 203 on Sept. 10 live from Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, due to visa issues, per a Facebook post by Taisumov earlier this week.
“Once again my visa application to U.S. was declined,” wrote Taisumov. “I have no idea why … maybe they saving their fighters from me. Months of preparations and all the work I put in is lost again due to some bureaucracy issues. I want to apologize to my opponent Nik Lentz for this and tell him I’m ready to fight with him anywhere outside U.S.”
Taisumov, 28, is currently riding an impressive four-fight win streak in the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) lightweight division, including four finishes. He has fought just once in 2016 and will now have to wait until next year to get back into the Octagon.
Luckily for Lentz, who captured a hard-fought win his is divisional return opposite Danny Castillo back at UFC on FOX 17, the promotion has already found a replacement for Taisumov. Lentz will now welcome UFC newcomer Michael McBride, who has compiled a 8-1 record on the open mixed martial arts (MMA) circuit, to the big leagues.
UFC 203 will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between champion Stipe Miocic and knockout artist Alistair Overeem, as well as a main card appearance by MMA newcomer CM Punk.
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