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UFC 233 is no longer happening in January, postponed to a later date

UFC 233 was scheduled for January, but is being postponed to an unknown date. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
UFC 233 was scheduled for January, but is being postponed to an unknown date. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

If you’ve circled Jan. 26 on your calendar so you would remember to watch UFC 233, it’s time to break out the Liquid Paper. According to ESPN, and confirmed by MMA Junkie, UFC 233 is being delayed and will no longer happen on Jan. 26.

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The postponement is happening for several reasons. First, one of the big fights of the event had already been moved. Henry Cejudo and T.J. Dillashaw had been scheduled to fight for the flyweight title at UFC 233, but that was moved to UFC’s debut event on ESPN+ on January 19. The reason for the move, which happened in early December, is pretty simple: UFC wanted to kick off their five-year, $1.5 billion contract with ESPN by moving a big fight to their debut event.

That alone didn’t cause UFC 233 to be postponed. ESPN reported that the UFC had planned on a fight between Tyron Woodley and Colby Covington headlining UFC 233, but they couldn’t make it happen as Woodley is still recovering from a thumb injury.

Nine fights had been on the UFC 233 card, and all will be rescheduled or incorporated into other cards. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reached out to Ben Askren, who was supposed to make his UFC debut at UFC 233 in a fight with Robbie Lawler, about the delay.

“I was ready and willing to save the day for my new bosses. Heck, I’m ready to fight tomorrow,” Askren said in a text to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. “If Robbie needs a little more time get ready to lose to me, so be it. Though I’d be more than happy to fight in Brooklyn and then kick his ass on March 2.”

Askren isn’t the only one taking the news in stride. UFC 233 was scheduled on the same night as Bellator 214, and the two events were taking place just miles apart. Postponing UFC 233 clears the way for Bellator 214 to own the night. Scott Coker, Bellator president, seemed pretty thrilled by the news.

A new date for UFC 233 hasn’t been announced yet. According to a statement released to MMA Junkie, UFC 234 will still take place on Feb. 10, and it won’t be re-titled. Can there be a UFC 234 without UFC 233 happening first? It looks like the answer is yes.

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