UFC Vegas 27 has lost another fighter after flyweight Raulian Paiva was forced to go to the hospital after suffering through a brutal weight cut for his Saturday bout against David Dvorak.
Paiva confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Friday.
“I was cutting weight yesterday and I was fine, I was really fine, and I remember leaving the sauna to do some towels and then I had a strong headache and pain in the chest, and then I don’t remember anything anymore,” Paiva said. “I only remember waking up at the hospital.
“My mind wanted [to cut the weight] but my body didn’t. The doctor said I had low blood pressure and was dehydrated, that’s why I was passing out and wouldn’t walk back up. But thank God I was cleared from the hospital at midnight and am feeling well now.”
A promising prospect in the 125-pound division, Paiva was riding a two-fight win streak heading into Saturday night after earning victories over Zhalgas Zhumagulov and Mark De La Rosa.
Following the tough weight cut that put him in the hospital, Paiva isn’t sure the UFC will allow him to continue competing in the flyweight division due to possible health complications.
“Let’s see if the UFC will still let me fight at 125,” Paiva said after enduring several difficult weight cuts since joining the UFC roster.
With Paiva out of his fight with Dvorak, UFC newcomer Juancamilo Ronderos (4-0) will step in as a last-second replacement, per the UFC. UFC Vegas 27 will proceed with 13 total fights after the bantamweight bout between Stephanie Egger and Sarah Alpar was pulled earlier this week due to COVID-19 protocols.