Vertigo forces Alvin Hines out of UFC Fight Night 293 heavyweight bout

Alvin Hines has pulled out of UFC Fight Night 293, announcing on Instagram that a vertigo diagnosis has forced him to withdraw from his heavyweight bout against Gabriel Lourenco, scheduled for November 7 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

The setback extends a difficult run for Hines inside the Octagon. The 7-2 heavyweight arrived in the UFC last year as an undefeated prospect who had finished six of his seven opponents, but he has lost both appearances under the promotion’s banner since signing.

Lourenco (8-1) was set to make his UFC debut against Hines after earning a contract with a first-round knockout of Charlie Cleveland on Dana White’s Contender Series in September. A replacement opponent for Lourenco has not yet been announced.

Hines addressed the withdrawal directly in a lengthy Instagram post, making clear he intends to return once fully recovered.

“I had to pull out of this one for medical reasons due to vertigo,” Hines wrote. “It wasn’t an easy decision, but I know I need to be able to step into that Octagon at 100% and perform to my true potential. I’m going to continue fight camp with some adjustments while I work through this and get myself back to where I need to be.”

Hines was emphatic that the decision was not a retreat from competition. “I’m not walking away from the fight. I’m taking the time to get right so when I’m back in there, I can put on the kind of fight I know I’m capable of,” he added. “Sometimes the hardest part of fighting isn’t throwing punches. It’s knowing when to step back, get right, and prepare for the next battle. This is just a setback. Not the end of the story.”

Hines plans to maintain his training camp with modified preparations during his recovery, with no timeline yet given for his return to competition.