Scratched! UFC 298 cancels heavyweight bout after fighter somehow injures himself before weigh ins (Updated)

I was expecting someone to bail on UFC 298 before tomorrow night in Anaheim, but my money was on Paulo Costa slipping in the bathtub or something equally goofy. Instead, heavyweight hurter Justin Tafa has been felled by a mysterious injury and forced to withdraw from his late “Prelims” bout against Marcos Rogerio de Lima, according to an announcement the promotion made during the UFC 298 weigh ins stream.

The good news is, Tafa’s younger brother Junior was willing to step in on short notice to keep the bout intact (more on that turn of events here).

Junior Tafa (5-1) is coming off a knockout victory over Parker Porter at UFC Singapore last August, bringing his Octagon record to 1-1 after a decision loss to Mohammad Usman in early 2023. De Lima (21-9-1) is looking to rebound from his technical knockout defeat to Derrick Lewis at UFC 291 back in July. “Pezao” has been a part of the heavyweight scene since crossing over from Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): “Brazil” nearly a decade ago.

Heavy leather in “The Golden State.”

LIVE! Watch UFC 298 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

WORLD FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Sat., Feb. 17, 2024, for the first time in more than two years with its latest pay-per-view (PPV) show. In the ESPN+-streamed PPV main event, reigning Featherweight roost-ruler, Alexander Volkanovski, will defend his 145-pound strap against undefeated surging Spanish contender, Ilia Topuria. In addition, former Middleweight kingpin, Robert Whittaker, will finally square off with mercurial mauler, Paulo Costa, in UFC 298’s co-feature. UFC 298 will also feature the returns of Ian Garry, Geoff Neal, Henry Cejudo, Merab Dvalishvili and so much more!

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

• STREAM UFC 298

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 298 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 298: “Volkanovski vs. Topuria” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 298 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.