Reports: Junior dos Santos out of UFC on ESPN+ 21 main event with Alexander Volkov

Junior Dos Santos is out of his UFC on ESPN+ 21 main event with Alexander Volkov, according to reports.

Dos Santos, the former UFC heavyweight champion, was set to face off against Volkov on Nov. 9 at CSKA Arena in Moscow, but the Brazilian is now out of the event. RT Sport’s Denis Geyko first reported the news via Twitter.

A subsequent report from MMA Fighting stated that Dos Santos has been hospitalized and receiving treatment for a bacterial infection in his leg for over a week. He’s had two separate procedures done to flush out the infected area.

MMA Junkie has reached out to the UFC for official confirmation but has yet to receive a response. It’s unknown at this time if a replacement is being sought, although RT Sport reported Francis Ngannou as a possibility.

Dos Santos was looking to capture his fourth win in his last five outings. Russia’s Volkov is targeting victory in what will be his first UFC appearance since October 2018 at UFC 229, when he was knocked out by Derrick Lewis in dramatic fashion.