Mairbek Taisumov removed from UFC 223 bout with Evan Dunham due to visa issues

With less than one month to go, UFC 223 has lost one of its premier preliminary matchups, as rising lightweight contender Mairbek Taisumov has been removed from the card due to ongoing visa issues, per a recent report by MMA Fighting.

Taisumov was expected to take on lightweight veteran Evan Dunham on the UFC Fight Pass portion of the event.

This isn’t the first time the 29-year-old Chechen has had troubles acquiring a U.S. visa. Taisumov was forced to withdraw from his fight with Chris Wade at UFC Fight Night 81 for the same issues, and then again at UFC 203 for his fight opposite Nik Lentz. Mix in some injury pullouts as well and Taisumov has been one of the hardest fighters to get into the Octagon over the past two years.

Despite another failed attempt to gain access into the U.S., Taisumov’s team remains confident that the fighter will eventually be able to compete on American soil. Hopefully it doesn’t take much longer, especially considering Taisumov has won his last five Octagon appearances all by way of knockout.

In a recent Twitter post, Dunham revealed that Canadian submission expert Olivier Aubin-Mercier has stepped up to replace Taisumov on short notice.

UFC 223 will take place on April 7 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and feature a lightweight title fight between current interim champion Tony Ferguson and undefeated Russian sensation Khabib Nurmagomedov.

For more UFC 223 fight card news click here.