Breaking: Abubakar Nurmagomedov replaced by Jared Gooden on short notice to fight at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili
Abubakar Nurmagomedov has pulled out of his welterweight clash against Carlston Harris this weekend and will be replaced by experienced veteran Jared Gooden.
Khabib's younger cousin has endured an unusual run in the UFC throughout his three fights in the promotion thus far. Joining the company after a less-than-impressive spell with the PFL, the Russian had a rough start to life in the octagon. But he has since found his feet and has put together a winning run.
Announced earlier today, Jared Gooden will be called upon to fill in for Abubakar Nurmagomedov and face Carlston Harris on March 11.
A.Nurmagomedov out. Carlston Harris will now fight Jared Gooden at #UFCLasVegas on March 11th. (first rep. @PrimeiroRound) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 https://t.co/sabCo7CXMq
'Mocambique' is looking to get back to winning ways after being handed his first UFC loss last time out at the hands of rising phenom Shavkat Rakhmonov. The 35-year-old impressed in his first two octagon outings but hasn't competed in the sport since his loss to the Kazakh over a year ago.
After losing three of four fights, Gooden was cut from the UFC and forced to make his way onto the regional scene. After collecting wins in Jorge Masvidal's iKon FC, XMMA, NFC, and more recently the UFL, 'Nite Train' has earned a second shot at the company, albeit on short notice.
The man he is replacing, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, holds a win over him when the pair crossed paths at UFC 260 almost two years ago. The two competed in the prelims on the pay-per-view card headlined by Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic.
UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili - How does the card look without Abubakar Nurmagomedov?
Despite being on a winning streak and having the renowned Nurmagomedov name, Abubakar's fight against Carlston Harris arguably wasn't one of the biggest attractions for the event.
Petr Yan will be hoping to force himself back into title contention after back-to-back controversial decision losses when he welcomes Merab Dvalishvili into the octagon in the main event.
A heavy-hitting affair between Alexander Volkov and Alexander Romanov takes center stage in the co-headliner. A rescheduled light heavyweight showdown featuring Ryan Spann and Nikita Krylov also lands on March 11.
A veteran bout between Raphael Assuncao and Davey Grant, a fun matchup involving Ricardo Ramos and Austin Lingo, and the highly-anticipated debut of Sedriques Dumas will all be on display at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili.