Sources told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani that the 28-year-old featherweight suffered a staph infection in his shin and will be unable to compete by the Jan. 17 date.
The New York native is coming off back-to-back losses to top featherweights Ricardo Lamas and Jeremy Stephens but will now have to wait to change his fortune inside the UFC Octagon. Prior to his recent skid, Bermudez won seven straight from May 2012 to to July 2014, most recently defeating Clay Guida at UFC on Fox 12.
There is no word on a replacement opponent for Blanco or a timetable for Bermudez's recovery at this time.