Visa issues hit Waqar Umar’s debut in ONE FC; replacement sought

With compatriot Waqar Umar forced off the line-up due to visa issues, Bashir Ahmad steps in on two days’ notice to face Peter Davis.

Friday’s ONE FC card in Malaysia has taken a little hit and officials have been forced to make a change.

Waqar Umar (3-0) was slated to make his promotional debut on Friday night but visa issues have apparently prevented the Pakistani fighter from making the trip to Kuala, Lumpur.

Umar’s camp confirmed the news on Facebook.

A replacement, however, has been sought and Umar’s compatriot, Bashir Ahmad (2-1), will now take on Peter Davis on short notice.

This will be Davis’ third scheduled opponent in a space of just several months. He was originally set to fight Malaysia’s Wes Jaya before Jaya was forced to pull out with an injury. Umar was then tapped upon as a replacement before the visa issues struck.

Bashir Ahmad hence takes this fight on two days’ notice. The 31-year-old was set to corner Umar but it looks like the Lahore native will be getting in the action instead. After defeating Shannon Wiratchai at ONE FC 8: Kings & Champions in April, ‘Somchai’ dropped a submission setback again Bruno Pucci five months later. This will be Ahmad’s third appearance under the ONE FC banner.

ONE FC 14: War of Nations takes place March 14th at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The main card streams LIVE on an online pay-per-view and airs LIVE on Star Sports in Asia.

With the change, Friday’s ONE FC card now includes:

MAIN EVENT (Star Sports, Livesport.tv):