UFC 314 prelim fighter involved in failed robbery attempt

The middleweight is scheduled to compete in the UFC for the second time this weekend.

(Zuffa LLC)

A pair of UFC fighters found themselves as targets of a failed robbery attempt while heading to Florida for UFC 314.

Set to take place at Miami’s Kaseya Center, the main event of UFC 314 will see Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes square off for the vacant featherweight belt after Ilia Topuria announced that he was leaving the division for a full-time move up to lightweight.

UFC 314 also features a co-main event between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett and plenty of other intriguing bouts, but ahead of the event one of the card’s prelim fighters almost had his travel plans derailed by a robbery attempt.

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Alexander Volkanovski will try to reclaim the featherweight belt at UFC 314. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Marcio Tulio & Norma Dumont Detail Failed Robbery

According to a video posted by top-ranked UFC women’s bantamweight Norma Dumont, she and UFC 314 fighter Marcio Tulio were targeted by a robber that smashed their car window and tried to take Tulio’s phone (h/t MMAWeekly).

“We’re heading to Saturday’s fight in Miami with 'Matuto',” Dumon said in Portuguese. “It was chill…They tried to rob him, grab his phone, smashed the window. But look, did they get it?”

Irene Aldana (red gloves) fights Norma Dumont (blue gloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at Sphere. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Dumont is coming off a dominant win at UFC 306 against Irene Aldana that came after “The Immortal” found out her husband had cheated on her, and after the failed robbery attempt it’s now Tulio that apparently has some added motivation heading into his fight this weekend at UFC 314.

READ MORE: UFC double-champ has belt stolen after address gets leaked

“Nope, they didn’t get it, see,” Tulio said. “Their plan failed…Now, the urge to fight someone is even stronger…Someone’s going to pay for this.”

Marco Tulio punches Ihor Potieria in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX. / (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“Matuto” stopped Mattheiu Duclos in his second fight on Dana White’s Contender Series last year to earn a UFC contract, and after making short work of Ihor Potieria in his promotional debut in January the 30-year-old is now scheduled to meet The Ultimate Fighter 29 winner Treasean Gore on the UFC 314 prelims.

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