John Lineker is apologetic after he was forced to withdraw on short notice from a fight he “begged” for against Jimmie Rivera at UFC 219.

An infection in Lineker’s (30-8 MMA, 11-3 UFC) wisdom teeth was the cause of his withdrawal from Saturday’s matchup with fellow bantamweight Rivera (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), which was scheduled for the pay-per-view main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Brazilian will undergo emergency surgery, after which he hopes to make a quick return.

Lineker had never pulled out of a UFC fight due to injury. He released a statement to MMAjunkie with the details behind his withdrawal from UFC 219:

“I am really sad to have to withdraw from my fight with Rivera. I felt a little pain in the beginning of the week, went to the dentist and got treated, but (the pain) just kept getting worse. I came to Las Vegas early and tried to stay in the fight, but it was simply impossible.

“I would like to apologize to Rivera. I know how much it sucks when this happens. I want to apologize to Sean Shelby and the UFC. I begged them for the fight, and they agreed, and now I feel horrible to have to withdraw. And I need to apologize to the fans.

“I know that this would have been a great fight and everyone was looking forward to it,” Lineker said. “Hopefully Rivera and the UFC will agree to reschedule as soon as I can be ready to fight again.”

Due to the withdrawal, Rivera is left without an opponent on short notice for UFC 219. Several 135-pounders have already offered their services, though it remains to be seen if a replacement will be booked.

Should Rivera not fight at UFC 219, though, Lineker said he hopes the bout can be rebooked once he returns to full health.

For more on UFC 219, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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