Derrick Lewis mysteriously pulls out of UFC Edmonton just 24 hours before his clash with Jhonata Diniz – marking the third time the Black Beast has been forced to withdraw on short notice

Derrick Lewis was forced to withdraw from his bout with Jhonata Diniz at UFC Edmonton just one day before the fight was scheduled to take place.

The heavyweight showdown was scheduled to take place on Saturday’s Fight Night card, featuring Brandon Moreno and Rose Namajunas.

Initial reports suggested Lewis would not appear at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins but could still compete at the Rogers Place arena.

Lewis showed up at the early weigh-ins and made the heavyweight non-title limit of 266 pounds, but has since been removed from the event. with the promotion announcing that he had suffered an unspecified, non-weight loss related medical problem.

With the fight canceled with no time to find a replacement opponent for Diniz, it is not yet known if the bout will be rescheduled for a later date.

The unfortunate withdrawal marks the third time Lewis has had to withdraw from a fight at short notice during his UFC career.

In 2016, he was scheduled to face former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum at UFC 216, but was unable to compete after suffering a flare-up of a back injury following the weigh-ins.

Then, in 2022, Lewis pulled out of a main event clash with Sergei Spivak on the eve of UFC Vegas 65, just hours before the fight was set to take place.

Lewis later revealed that he had tested positive for COVID.

The 39-year-old has long been a fan favorite in the heavyweight division due to his charisma and KO power.

In the ten years since signing with the UFC, Lewis has amassed a 19-10 record inside the Octagon.

He has challenged for UFC gold twice, losing via second-round submission to Daniel Cormier in 2018 before being knocked out by Ciryl Gane in their 2021 interim title fight.