Breaking: Paulo Costa vs. Ikram Aliskerov canceled for UFC 291, new opponent finalized according to reports

It appears as though the middleweight clash between Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 291 has been canceled.

According to @judobetter995, Costa has withdrawn from the event and Aliskerov will be competing against a new opponent. Roman Dolidze has stepped up, which will be a tough task as he will now be fighting on 12 days' notice and at altitude in Salt Lake City, Utah.

@judobetter995 mentioned that the news was confirmed by trusted sources in Aliskerov's camp:

"My inside source just told me that Costa vs Ikram is not going to happen and UFC are looking to book...Dolidze Vs Aliskerov...Nothing official but info comes from Ikram’s camp so I’m sure it’s true."

My inside source just told me that Costa vs Ikram is not going to happen and UFC are looking to book

Dolidze Vs Aliskerov

Nothing official but info comes from Ikram’s camp so I’m sure it’s true. https://t.co/9Q1OAXIS5W

Dolidze will be looking to get back on track in the middleweight division as he is coming off a unanimous decision loss to former title challenger Marvin Vettori. The loss snapped his four-fight winning streak, which included three consecutive KO/TKO wins and Performance of the Night bonuses.

There was a lot of intrigue surrounding the originally scheduled bout as the Dagestani was getting an opportunity against a top middleweight immediately following his impressive promotional debut. The reason behind 'Borrachinha's' removal from the event remains unclear as it appeared as though he was content with the new deal he signed with the UFC.

When did Paulo Costa last compete?

Paulo Costa's most recent fight took place last August at UFC 278, where he earned a unanimous decision over former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold.

It was a very entertaining fight and both earned a post-fight bonus for Fight of the Night. Following the bout, Rockhold announced his retirement and parted ways with the promotion, while 'Borrachinha' underwent surgery on his hand that would keep him out of action for the remainder of 2022.

Since then, Paulo Costa has been at odds with the promotion due to his contract as his scheduled bout with former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker also didn't materialize. It appeared as though those issues with the promotion were resolved, so the timing is unfortunate for him.

🚨| Paulo Costa has undergone surgery on a broken hand that he suffered in his win over Paulo Costa at #UFC278 last weekend.

The Brazilian will likely be out until 2023 and is eyeing a return on the #UFC283 card in January in Brazil.

#UFC #MMA https://t.co/yClHauUp3V