BREAKING: Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili card loses bantamweight bout, replacement announced
Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan will headline a UFC Fight Night opposite surging contender Merab Dvalishvili on March 11.
The event has now lost a main card matchup Kyler Phillips is out of his scheduled bantamweight clash against Davey Grant due to undisclosed reasons. However, the UFC has thankfully found a short notice replacement in Raphael Assuncao who will step in to face Grant in a matchup with the makings of a barnburner.
While Ag. Fight was the first to break the news, the reason for Phillips' exit is unknown.
BREAKING: David Grant substitui Kyler Phillips e encara o brasileiros Raphael Assunção no card do dia 11 de março, em Las Vegas!
#ufc #ufcvegas
K.Phillips out. Raphael Assunçâo will now fight Davey Grant at #UFCVegas71 on March 11th. (first rep. @AgFight) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFCLasVegas #UFC2023 https://t.co/MPVsZ4dhZA
Assuncao is coming off a decision win over Victory Henry in October that marked the end of a frustrating four-fight skid. While he hasn't had a good run recently, the Brazilian veteran has recorded victories over the who's who of the bantamweight division like Rob Font, Marlon Moraes, Aljamain Sterling, Pedro Munhoz and T.J. Dillashaw in the past.
Meanwhile, Grant is coming off a third-round stoppage win over Louis Smolka in May last year, that ended a two-fight skid. Known amongst the hardest hitters of the division, 'Dangerous' was riding a three-fight streak in 2021 before consecutive 'Fight of the Night' decision losses against Marlon Vera and Adrian Yanez.
Aljamain Sterling predicts how Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili will play out
While Aljamain Sterling earned his bantamweight title with a DQ win over Petr Yan at UFC 259, 'Funkmaster' beat the Russian fair and square to defend his title in the rematch.
Having emphatically outwrestled Yan, Sterling believes he has provided Merab Dvalishvili with the blueprint to beat 'No Mercy' when they meet on March 11.
What a fight!
Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili on March 11 in Las Vegas! https://t.co/xNdMtbgmjy
'Funkmaster' believes Dvalishvili will control the tempo of the fight for the most part if he sufficiently focuses. The UFC bantamweight champ said on his YouTube channel:
"He’s going to have to fight Merab’s fight the entire time. This is a dangerous fight for Merab, but this is just as dangerous of a fight for Petr Yan. When you’re at the top of the game, it’s a game of inches. Merab just needs to be super dialed in, and I think he has the blueprint already on how to beat him. He’s got a striker’s blueprint from Sean O’Malley. He’s got a wrestler’s blueprint from myself.”
Watch Sterling's comments below: