A key element of UFC’s upcoming Toronto, Ontario card fell apart Saturday as UFC President Dana White confirmed that Canadian standout Rory MacDonald was forced to withdraw from his fight with BJ Penn.
MacDonald reportedly suffered a major cut in training, and the injury, which required stitches, will erase his availability for UFC 152 on September 22.
At press time, White and company had not confirmed whether Penn, who had come out of a claimed retirement for the anticipated battle with MacDonald, would remain on the card for a replacement fight.
The Penn-MacDonald fight, seen as a pivotal opportunity for either Penn to prove he still belongs or the highly-touted MacDonald to affirm his skills against a legend, was notable in that the fighters had agreed to separate drug testing under the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.
The flyweight championship bout between Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez and a key Middleweight match between Michael Bisping and Brian Stann still headline UFC 152.
