5 UFC fights that were canceled at the last minute

UFC fights are booked months in advance. This provides the promotion with ample time to slot specific bouts on fight cards that make the most sense for them. Sometimes, the matchups in question are scheduled for pay-per-view events, while others are designed to headline Fight Night cards.

Furthermore, the long stretch of time preceding most bouts enables the promotion's fighters to undergo as much training as possible in order to step into the octagon at the absolute peak of their powers. Unfortunately, issues that can't be accounted for can arise to bring ruin to the promotion's plans.

Whether it's a freak injury or some other variable, fights are occasionally canceled. Nothing, however, is more grating than a matchup that collapses with only days left. This list looks at 5 UFC fights that were canceled at the last minute.

#5. Ilir Latifi vs. Alexei Oleynik at UFC Fight Night 205

Ilir Latifi is a solid mixed martial artist. Although he will never be an elite fighter challenging for a world championship, barring a spectacular change in circumstances, he is a reliable fighter.

He captured the imagination of fight fans due to his hulking physique and Joe Rogan's hyperbolic assessment of Latifi as a genetic freak.

🚨 Due to a non-COVID related illness, Ilir Latifi has been removed from his heavyweight bout with Aleksei Oleinik at #UFCColumbus tonight. https://t.co/MuXAY6J5ij

However, after losing 2 straight fights in the light heavyweight division, the Swede found himself at a crossroads in his career. He'd never managed more than 3 consecutive wins in the division, and the weight cuts were becoming more grueling with age.

The change he sought was moving up a weight class. Latifi made his heavyweight debut against the power-punching Derrick Lewis, losing a uninamous decision to 'The Black Beast'.

He next faced Tanner Boser, claiming his first win in three years. Afterward, a matchup with unorthodox submission grappler Alexei Oleynik was scheduled. However, mere hours before the Swede's third heavyweight bout, he contracted an illness, forcing him to withdraw from the fight.