Ovince St. Preux Removed from UFC Fight Night 197, Bout vs. Philipe Lins Canceled

A heavyweight showdown between Ovince St. Preux and Philipe Lins will not be contested at UFC Fight Night 197 as originally planned.

The promotion announced St. Preux’s withdrawal from the card over the weekend, and on Tuesday, UFC officials confirmed that Lins will not receive a replacement opponent. UFC Fight Night 197 takes place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a featherweight clash between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez. A reason for St. Preux’s exit was not given.

St. Preux is currently on a two-bout skid after suffering back-to-back KO/TKO losses against Jamahal Hill and Tanner Boser. The former University of Tennessee football player has won just three of his last nine outings dating back to 2018.

Lins joined the UFC after winning the 2018 Professional Fighters League heavyweight title. The 36-year-old Kimura Nova Uniao product has since fallen to Andrei Arlovski via decision at UFC Fight Night 171 and lost to Boser via first-round KO at UFC on ESPN 12.