Tracy Cortez vs. Miranda Maverick is off once again, this time due to injury.

Scheduled for UFC on ESPN 63 in Tampa, Fla., Cortez (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has withdrawn from the bout against Maverick (14-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) due to injury. The event takes place Dec. 14 at Amalie Arena.

Two people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the change but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Cortez and Maverick were originally scheduled to fight July 20 in Las Vegas. However, when Maycee Barber fell out of a July 13 main event in Denver, Cortez was slotted in against Rose Namajunas.

In her first promotional main event, Cortez lost to Namajunas by unanimous decision. One week later, Maverick defeated fill-in Dione Barbosa by unanimous decision.

While no replacement for Cortez has been locked yet, Maverick is expected to remain on the card against a different opponent.

With the change, the current UFC on ESPN 63 lineup includes:

• Ian Machado Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley
• Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
• Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino
• Tracy Cortez vs. Miranda Maverick
• Josefine Knutsson vs. Piera Rodriguez
• Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos
• Davey Grant vs. Ramon Taveras
• Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva
• Ottman Azaitar vs. Michael Johnson
• Daniel Marcos vs. Adrian Yanez

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

Denver Nuggets power forward Aaron Gordon is expected to miss multiple weeks with a strained right calf, two people familiar with the injury told The Associated Press.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the extent of the injury hasn’t been announced. Gordon left Monday’s win over Toronto in the first quarter and didn’t return.

His absence is a blow for a team that’s been without guard Jamal Murray (concussion protocol) for the last two games.

Gordon is averaging 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds this season while playing 30 minutes a night.

The 29-year-old Gordon signed a four-year, $133 million contract extension just before the start of the season. He was an integral piece when the franchise captured its first NBA championship in 2022-23.

Gordon was originally drafted by Orlando with the fourth overall pick in 2014. He was traded to the Nuggets in March 2021 and has become a fan favorite with his play around the rim and his energizing dunks.

Before the season, Gordon switched jersey numbers to No. 32 in honor his brother, Drew, who died last spring in an auto accident in Oregon.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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RIZIN Fighting Federation will close the year with a highly anticipated featherweight title rematch between champion Chihiro Suzuki and former titleholder Kleber Koike, the company announced Tuesday.

RIZIN DECADE will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Dec. 31, and air live through its own pay-per-view platform. Suzuki vs. Koike will serve as the main event.

Koike (33-7-1, 1 no contest) was the 145-pound champion when he first scheduled to face Suzuki inside the ring in June of 2023, but lost the title on the scale after missing weight. Per RIZIN rules, an overweight fighter can’t win a bout, so his first-round submission victory over Suzuki was automatically overturned to a no-contest.

The Brazilian veteran, a former KSW champion as well, won his past two with first-round finishes over Yutaka Saito and Juan Archuleta to earn a crack at the belt that now belongs to Suzuki.

Suzuki (13-3, 1 no contest) won three in a row since his match with Koike, scoring a huge upset against Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull before claiming RIZIN gold with a quick knockout over Vugar Karamov. Suzuki last defended his belt with a first-round knockout against veteran Masanori Kanehara.

The 25-year-old Japanese was expected to face Manny Pacquiao in a three-round boxing exhibition, but was later replaced by kickboxing veteran Rukiya Anpo. The bout ended in a draw.

RIZIN has yet to announce other match-ups for the card, but MMA Fighting has learned that undefeated welterweight Igor Tanabe is expected to be part of the card. The 5-0 grappler was scheduled to face Marcos Yoshio de Souza at RIZIN Landmark 10 on Nov. 17, but Souza was forced of the match due to an injury.

Michael Chandler returned fire after Arman Tsarukyan’s most recent jab.

Tsarukyan has continuously poked at Chandler’s fight IQ and recently told MMA Junkie that he’s an easy fight for Charles Oliveira. Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) rematches Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) in the Nov. 16 co-main event at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) is currently linked to a title fight with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) on Jan. 18 at UFC 311, although nothing is confirmed. Chandler was respectful toward Tsarukyan for the most part in his response but made sure to sneak in his own jab right at the end.

“He’s just a young, hungry dude making his presence be known,” Chandler told the New York Post. “He’s matured. He’s got some great wins. His last win was over Oliveira, my next opponent, so he’s earned this title shot. This is going to be a rematch with him and Islam. He’s doing his thing, but yeah, he doesn’t like me, says bad things about me. After he beat Oliveira, I actually went back and congratulated him. It’s one of those things where I don’t hold any animosity towards anybody. I’ve had my spats with Poirier.

“I’ve had my spats with these different guys in the past. I enjoy competing against people whether they like me or don’t like me. I’m going to always operate like I don’t necessarily like my opponent, but I don’t have anything against him. I don’t go into the octagon with any malice or ill-will in my heart. That’s where I perform the best. Like I said, a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter, and that’s my own personal anecdote of my career thus far, but Arman’s doing his thing. I wish him well. I think Islam absolutely smokes him, but at least he’s got great hair.”

Chandler is seeking redemption against Oliveira. The pair met for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 262 in May 2021, where Oliveira rallied to knock out Chandler in Round 2.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Hull City’s Ecuadorian midfielder Oscar Zambrano has been suspended until further notice by the South American football confederation Conmebol for breaching anti-doping rules.

The 20-year-old has scored one goal in eight appearances for the Tigers since joining from Ecuadorian club LDU Quito on a season-long loan in August, with the option to make the transfer permanent.

Zambrano reportedly tested positive, external after the second leg of the Recopa Sudamericana in March but remained eligible to play.

Hull have said he has now been suspended from all football with immediate effect for breaching doping rules “set out in Articles 6 and 7 of the Conmebol Anti-Doping Regulations”.

“Zambrano and his defence will use their right to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas),” the club added., external

“The club is not in a position to provide further information at this time.”

Zambrano scored his first Hull goal in their 4-1 win against Cardiff in September.

The Tigers are 15th in the Championship after three wins and six draws in 13 games.