Arnold Allen scratched from UFC 333 fight with Aaron Pico

Arnold Allen has been withdrawn from his scheduled UFC 333 featherweight bout against Aaron Pico, which was set for October 24 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The British fighter's absence is not due to a new injury, but rather insufficient recovery time from past treatments he has been undergoing. When the matchup was initially arranged, both sides acknowledged that withdrawal remained a possibility if Allen could not rehabilitate in time. The 32-year-old is targeting a return before the year's end.

Allen arrives at this juncture fresh off a decision victory over Melquizael Costa in the main event of May's UFC Vegas 117. His removal leaves Pico to face an alternate opponent: Losene Keita. Pico earned his maiden UFC win with a decision triumph over Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327 in April.

Keita (17-2) is riding momentum following a first-round knockout of Muhammad Naimov at UFC Paris earlier this month, a performance that netted him a Performance of the Night bonus. That victory marked his first win in two UFC appearances.