Joilton Lutterbach will not be fighting on Saturday’s UFC Saudi Arabia card.
UFC CEO Dana White announced Wednesday on social media that Lutterbach is out and his scheduled opponent, Shara Magomedov, will now take on Antonio Trocoli, who has stepped up on three days notice to make his UFC debut.
White did not disclose why Lutterbach was removed from the card, however, the middleweight fighter posted on his Instagram story saying that he tested positive for a banned substance.
It’s the second time Magomedov’s opponent for his UFC Saudi Arabia match has been changed. Magomedov was originally set to face Ihor Potieria, who was pulled from the card to face Michel Pereira at last month’s UFC 301. Potieria lost via submission (guillotine choke) during the opening minute of the match.
Magomedov holds a 12-0 record with 10 wins via knockout. The 30-year-old made his octagon debut against Bruno Silva at UFC 294 on Oct. 21, 2023, and won via unanimous decision.
Trocoli (12-3) is riding a four-fight win streak. The 33-year-old was scheduled to make his octagon debut against Ikram Aliskerov during last week’s UFC Fight Night. The fight was called off as Aliskerov was bumped up to replace Khamzat Chimaev for the UFC Saudi Arabia main event against Robert Whittaker.