Former Alabama linebacker Eryk Anders was scheduled to fight Chris “The All-American” Weidman in a middleweight bout at UFC 309 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. But shortly before the preliminary fights were to begin, Ultimate Fighting Championship announced Anders’ bout had been cancelled “due to a medical issue” involving the fighter.

The Anders-Weidman fight was among the four preliminary bouts before the five-fight main card headlined by the heavyweight championship showdown between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.

“I am super bummed out,” Weidman said. “I felt so good for this fight, so ready. My head is spinning right now that this is happening. I was about to walk into the arena. Just said the prayers with my family. Just felt so good and was so excited to put on a show in Madison Square Garden. I am so gutted. I just want to wish Anders, I hope he feels better, gets better soon. And I just want to apologize to all the friends and family and fans that spent a lot of money to come out here to watch me fight tonight, and, unfortunately, it’s not going to be happening anymore.”

Anders most recently fought on March 2 at UFC Fight Night 238. Anders dominated the final round to post a unanimous decision over Jamie “The Nightwolf” Pickett at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The judges scored the three-round middleweight match in Anders’ favor 29-27, 29-28, 29-28.

Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva on July 6, 2013, at UFC 162 to win the UFC middleweight championship. After three successful title defenses, Weidman lost to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194 on Dec. 12, 2015.

Weidman has gone 3-6 since that fight. A broken leg suffered in a 2021 fight kept him out of the Octagon for more than two years.

Weidman has a 12-7 UFC record and a 16-7 mixed-martial arts record in professional fights.

Anders has an 8-8 record in the UFC and a 16-8 mark as an MMA professional.

Before Saturday night’s scheduled event, the 37-year-old Anders said he planned to fight only three more times before retiring.

Anders played football at Alabama from 2006 through 2009. In Anders’ final appearance — the BCS national championship game — his fumble-causing sack of Texas quarterback Garret Gilbert gave the Crimson Tide the football at the Longhorns’ 3-yard line while holding a 24-21 lead with 3:02 left in the game. Anders led Alabama with seven tackles in the 37-21 victory over the Longhorns for the first of coach Nick Saban’s six national titles with the Tide.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.