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Despite UFC announcement, Burns vs. Vannata not happening in Glendale

Don Wright / USA TODAY Sports

As it turns out, Gilbert Burns and Lando Vannata aren't Arizona bound.

The UFC announced Friday that the pair of lightweights would meet on April 14 at Gila River Arena in Glendale for UFC on FOX 29, although MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani has since reported the matchup was never finalized.

The promotion has since pulled the announcement from its website.

According to MMAjunkie's John Morgan, Vannata suffered an undisclosed injury that kept him from signing on the dotted line, with Helwani reporting he's eyeing a summer return to the Octagon. Reasons for the UFC's premature announcement have not yet been confirmed.

Burns has now seen two straight bookings fall through. He was yanked from last month's date with Olivier Aubin-Mercier the week of UFC on FOX 28 over safety concerns regarding his weight cut. His last outing came in September at UFC Fight Night 116, where he scored a second-round KO of Jason Saggo.

Vannata, meanwhile, was last seen fighting Bobby Green to a rare split draw at UFC 216 in October.

Lightweights Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje clash in UFC on FOX 29's main event.

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