The UFC’s planned main event Saturday night has been canceled and company president Dana White is not happy about it.
The Swedish MMA Federation, the governing body of all MMA fights in the country, ruled Tuesday that Alexander Gustafsson, a top contender at light heavyweight, was unfit to compete due to a cut over his left eye that he suffered in training. Gustafsson, a native of Sweden, was supposed to face Gegard Mousasi in the main event of a card that will air on Fuel TV.
On Wednesday afternoon, White posted a photo of Gustafsson on Twitter that shows the cut is barely visible.
“This pic was taken of Gustafsson today and u can’t even see the cut!!!” White tweeted. “Worst decision I have EVER seen to pull fight.”
A cut is not visible on Gustafsson’s face in a photo Dana White says was taken Wednesday. (@danawhite)
Gustafsson also posted a photo on his website Wednesday, which was likely from a few days ago. That photo shows a deep, long cut extending across his right eyelid. Gustafsson said he got the cut last week during wrestling practice. He needed three stitches.
The SMMAF said in a statement to MMAFighting.com that Gustafsson was first examined by request March 30. The doctors informed him then that the injury was “of such a nature that it was very unlikely that he would be medically cleared.” But those doctors didn’t have authorization to scrap the fight.
On Tuesday, the SMMAF medical committee reviewed the information and confirmed that Gustafsson “will not be fit to compete as planned and cannot be medically cleared Friday the 5th of April.”
Gustafsson’s training partner Ilir Latifi will step in against Mousasi for the UFC on Fuel 9 main event.
mraimondi@nypost.com