Gastelum-Pyfer dropped from UFC Mexico City due to illness

The UFC Mexico City bout between middleweights Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer has been canceled, the promotion announced Saturday afternoon.

Pyfer was removed from the event after coming down with an illness.

As a result, Saturday's card will proceed with 12 fights, including the main event between former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and Steve Erceg.

"Just wanna say my heart is broken I couldn't fight today," Pyfer wrote on Instagram. "I got super sick, and hopefully we can reschedule this fight for a few weeks from now. Unfortunately comes with the territory of traveling outside the (United) States."

Pyfer, a top prospect at 185 pounds, was looking to win his second consecutive fight. The 28-year-old holds a 4-1 record in the Octagon.

Gastelum, a former interim title challenger, was slated to compete for the first time since announcing a permanent return to the middleweight division. The 33-year-old is coming off a unanimous decision win over Daniel Rodriguez in June and is 2-1 in his past three outings.