Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight Gaston Bolanos has withdrawn from his upcoming fight against Francis Marshall, scheduled for UFC Vegas 123 on Oct. 31, 2026, inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Not a message I’m happy about announcing, but sometimes our plan is different than God’s plan,” Bolanos wrote on Instagram. “Unfortunately, due to an injury suffered in camp — beyond the cut you see in the image — I’ve had to withdraw from the fight at the end of the month.
“This sport can be unforgiving,” Bolanos continued. “We compete at a high level day in and day out to prepare for some of the biggest moments of our lives in that cage. Blood, sweat, tears. I am sorry to my opponent, my fans and all the people who support me. This is something that was completely outside my control.
“At this moment, I will allow my body to heal, and I will take the necessary steps to come back 100 percent in that Octagon,” Bolanos concluded. “I will be back.”
Bolanos was attempting to score his second consecutive victory after defeating Michael Aswell Jr. via unanimous decision in June. The former Bellator standout currently holds a 9-5 professional record and has won three of his five UFC appearances.
Thankfully, Marshall will remain on the UFC Vegas 123 lineup.
Promotional sophomore Dakota Hope has agreed to step in on short notice and face “Fire” in a Featherweight matchup. Hope suffered a split decision loss to Kai Kamaka III in his UFC debut this past April and will now search for his first Octagon victory.
The 29-year-old owns an 11-2 professional record and trains at 4oz Fight Club under former UFC veteran Daniel Pineda, alongside reigning UFC Flyweight champion Joshua Van.
Marshall, meanwhile, has seemingly found his footing after a rough 1-3 stretch inside the Octagon. The 27-year-old has won two straight fights over Erik Silva and Lucas Brennan, improving his overall professional record to 10-3.
Bolanos did not reveal a potential timeline for his return.
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