Nassourdine Imavov vs. Kelvin Gastelum Removed From UFC 273

A UFC middleweight bout between rising contender Nassourdine Imavov and Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 273 is off due to Imavov’s visa issues.

The UFC announced the news of the canceled booking on Monday afternoon.

Gastelum will not get a new opponent for UFC 273 and will be removed from the event altogether. In its place, a heavyweight bout between Ilir Latifi and Aleksei Oleinik will fill the void on the card.

Imavov had been on a roll in the UFC’s middleweight division with back-to-back finishes over Ian Heinisch and Edmen Shahbazyan last year. He trains with former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane at MMA Factory in France and is a highly touted 185-pound prospect.

Imavov made his UFC debut in Oct. 2020 with a unanimous decision win over Jordan Williams. Before that, he enjoyed success in smaller promotions such as Ares FC and Centurion Fight Championship.

As for Gastelum, he was looking to get back in the win column after a recent losing skid. He has lost five of his last six fights in the Octagon, including most recently against Jared Cannonier. Gastelum also challenged for the interim middleweight title, losing to Israel Adesanya at UFC 236.

Gastelum is still a tough out in the UFC’s middleweight division, having earned wins over former title challenger Johny Hendricks and former champion Michael Bisping. He won The Ultimate Fighter: Season 17 with a split decision win over Uriah Hall.

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