A highly anticipated bout between former UFC bantamweights Saidyokub Kakhramonov and Francisco Rivera has been canceled by XMMA officials due to a security staff shortage.
Florida-based MMA promotion XMMA recently displayed a lack of competency when it failed to hold its major event, XMMA 6: Bash at the Beach, which was planned to be held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on April 7. The event was supposed to be headlined by a bantamweight bout between Saidyokub Kakhramonov and Francisco Rivera.
XMMA officials recently announced on their official social media accounts that the event had been canceled. They explained on Facebook that the reason was because the venue required them to have uniformed police officers for security. They claimed that no officers were available to work.
Many fans were upset with the way XMMA handled the situation, especially one of the athletes who was supposed to be featured in the main event, Luis Pena. He stated that XMMA didn’t inform him about the cancellation and that he found out about it in the Facebook comment section. His team tried to contact the organization, but they received no response.
Fans who bought tickets can now receive a full refund. However, many are still upset given how ridiculous the reason for the cancellation was. This also means that they have to wait longer to see the return of Saidyokub Kakhramonov.
The 27-year-old Kakhramonov is an impressive athlete who has a total record of 10 wins and 3 losses. He had a short run in the UFC, winning against Trevin Jones and Ronnie Lawrence, but suffered a loss against Said Nurgmagomedov in December of last year.
The other headliner, Francisco Rivera, must also be upset. The 41-year-old had his bout against Chris Beal canceled twice in February and March, and now he has to face another cancellation.
Ezra Samuel is a passionate freelance writer with a particular love for covering MMA news. His interest in the sport dates back to his college days, and he has since established himself as a respected voice in the MMA community. Over the years, Ezra has contributed his writing to a variety of digital outlets, including the popular site calfkicker.