The planned main event for Cage Warriors 148 has been forced off the card after former middleweight champion Jesse Taylor was hospitalized in a hit-and-run incident in London.
Cage Warriors officials confirmed to Fighters Only that Taylor, who was set to return to the promotion to challenge current middleweight champion Christian Leroy Duncan in the main event at the Indigo at The O2, was involved in the incident that saw him needing hospital treatment.
Taylor was kept in hospital overnight and discharged on Saturday morning, but the American has not been medically cleared to compete at the promotion's end-of-year event.
It means his bout with Duncan has been scratched from the top of the fight card, with the light heavyweight title bout between former champion Modestas Bukauskas and Chuck Campbell promoted to the main event spot.
"Jesse was involved in a hit-and-run on the mean streets of Greenwich at 1am this morning," said Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan, via social media.
"He's been taken to hospital, he was kept in overnight. He's had MRIs, he's had checks, and (he was) released this morning at around 8:30am. He's all good, he's back at the hotel and in good spirits.
"There’s never a dull moment and there’s always drama in this game. But the main thing is everybody is OK."
The main card will now be opened by the middleweight bout between Justin Barry and Dario Bellandi, which has been promoted from the preliminary card.
Cage Warriors 148: Amended Fight Card
MAIN CARD
- Modestas Bukauskas vs. Chuck Campbell – for vacant light heavyweight title
- Tuomas Gronvall vs. Wilson Reis
- Tobias Harila vs. Damon Wilson
- Darren Stewart vs. Guilherme Cadena
- Dario Bellandi vs. Justin Barry
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Sam Creasey (c) vs. Shajidul Haque – for flyweight title
- Helio Hernandez vs. Chasen Blair
- Emrah Sonmez vs. Adam Meskini
- Alessandro Giordano vs. Nathan Fletcher
- Omiel Brown vs. Junior Orghulo
- Samuel Bark vs. Orlando Wilson Prins
