Anders out of UFC 309 bout vs. Weidman due to illness

Eryk Anders was forced out of his preliminary bout against Chris Weidman at UFC 309 on Saturday in New York after coming down with an illness, it was announced on the broadcast.

The event will proceed with 12 fights. Weidman said he was "gutted" after hearing about the cancellation.

"I am super bummed out," Weidman said in a video posted on X. "I felt so good for this fight. I was so ready. My head is spinning right now that this is happening."

Anders was seeking his second victory of the year after beating Jamie Pickett in March. Weidman, meanwhile, was looking to put together his first winning streak since 2015.

The former middleweight champion last earned a technical decision win over Bruno Silva in March, which pushed his record to 1-1 since coming back from a broken leg.

A heavyweight title bout between champion Jon Jones and former champ Stipe Miocic will headline UFC 309, the promotion's annual event at Madison Square Garden.

As a result of the Weidman-Anders cancellation, a heavyweight tilt between Marcin Tybura and Jhonata Diniz was moved up to the televised preliminary card.