Former UFC lightweight Efrain Escudero will not make his U.K. debut Saturday as expected, as the fighter has encountered unspecified visa issues which will prevent him from competing for the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts.
Escudero’s visa troubles mark the second major setback encountered by BAMMA in preparation for the event. The show was originally supposed to be headlined by a middleweight title clash between champion Tom Watson and UFC veteran Frank Trigg. However, Watson withdrew from the event due to injury and Trigg was given former Bellator competitor Jim Wallhead as a replacement opponent.
The eighth-season winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Escudero compiled a record of 3-2 in the UFC before being released by the promotion last September following a submission defeat to Charles Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 22.
After his departure from the world’s largest MMA promotion, the 25-year-old rattled off three straight wins in local competition before falling to fellow UFC vet Fabricio Camoes at Tachi Palace Fights 9 in May. However, the MMA Lab representative rebounded from the defeat with a win over Mike Rio in his most recent outing on July 23.