UFC 282 fight card takes second massive hit after Robbie Lawler pulled from PPV lineup

*** Update: Alex Morono has agreed to fill in for Lawler on just six days’ notice — full details here. ***

Well, this sucks.

Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler has been pulled from his upcoming Santiago Ponzinibbio fight, previously scheduled for the UFC 282: “Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev” pay-per-view (PPV) card on Sat., Dec. 10, 2022 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

That’s according to ESPN.

The promotion is currently seeking a replacement for the “Ruthless” veteran though it’s not yet known the severity of his undisclosed injury. The 29-16 (1 NC) Lawler, who turns 41 next March, is coming off a technical knockout loss to Bryan Barberena and has now dropped five of his last six.

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UFC’s 2023 PPV DEBUT! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) kicks off its New Year pay-per-view (PPV) campaign on Sat., Jan. 21, 2023, with a battle for the vacant Light Heavyweight crown between former champion and No. 2-ranked contender, Glover Teixeira, looking to stop the momentum of surging No. 7-seeded up-and-comer, Jamahal Hill. In the co-main event of UFC 283, which will take place inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of the greatest rivalries in promotional history resumes as Flyweight kingpin, Deiveson Figueiredo, battles interim belt keeper, Brandon Moreno, for a fourth (and likely final) time.

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As for the hot-and-cold Ponzinibbio, 36, he’s looking to rebound from consecutive split decision losses to Geoff Neal and Michel Pereira. The “Argentine Dagger” dropped to 28-6 overall after losing three of his last four but also bagged two “Fight of the Night” bonuses during that span.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 282 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard (on ESPN2/ESPN+) at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

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