Hernia takes Whittaker out of fight vs. Gastelum at UFC 234

A medical condition forced middleweight champion Robert Whittaker to withdraw UFC 234 just hours before he was slated to defend his belt against Kelvin Gastelum.

UFC 234 will move forward with Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva taking over the headlining slot.

In a breaking news report from ESPN's Brett Okamoto, UFC President Dana White says Whittaker suffered a hernia in his abdomen late last night and will not be able to compete.

Elevated to the co-main is the lightweight matchup between American Lando Vannata and Brazilian Marcos Mariano.

He later said Whittaker would be undergoing surgery on Sunday for the problem.

Wizards quiet with trade deadline looming
Ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. trade deadline, it is highly plausible that the Wizards make another move or two. Porter stuffs the stat sheet, but has still yet to average more than 15 points per game in a season.

The UFC will stage its first pay-per-view of 2019 from Australia, and fight fans at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne - home of the Australian Open - will see two massive middleweight matchups.

With next to no time to find a replacement for Whittaker all the way out in Australia, UFC 234 turned to its old superstar in Silva to headline the event.

Gastelum's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, appeared on ESPN Radio following the news of Whittaker's withdrawal and said he believes his client will be compensated by the UFC brass.

Those plans will now be delayed, given Gastelum is next in line for a title shot before the victor of the Adesanya-Silva showdown.

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