Don Madge has a new opponent at UFC 242. The South African lightweight, who has spent a lot of time training at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, will now be facing Fares Ziam in Abu Dhabi on September 7th.
Original opponent Magomed Mustafaev pulled out for reasons that remain undisclosed. However MMA Junkie reports that a French replacement has been found for Madge.
Ziam (10-2) comes from a kickboxing background and will be making his UFC debut. Madge (8-3-1) made his name as a Muay Thai fighter so matchmakers are presumably hoping for a striking battle, although both men have multiple submission wins on their records.
The bout between Khalid Taha and Bruno Gustavo Aparecido Da Silva has also been removed from the card. The two bantamweights will face off at UFC 243 instead.
The event will take place at Du Arena and, as previously announced, will be headlined by a lightweight unification bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier.
There is a strong Russian presence on the card with Shamil Abdurakhimov, Muslim Salikhov, Islam Makhachev and Mairbek Taisumov all fighting as well as Nurmagomedov. The only Asian representative is Japanese welterweight Takashi Sato.
UFC 242, Abu Dhabi, September 7th
Khabib Nurmagomedov (c) vs. Dustin Poirier (For Lightweight Title)
Belal Muhammad vs. Takashi Sato (Welterweight)
Curtis Blaydes vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov (Heavyweight)
Joanne Calderwood vs. Andrea Lee (Flyweight)
Teemu Packalén vs. Ottman Azaitar (Lightweight)
Nordine Taleb vs. Muslim Salikhov (Welterweight)
Islam Makhachev vs. Davi Ramos (Lightweight)
Mairbek Taisumov vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira (Lightweight)
Liana Jojua vs. Sarah Moras (Bantamweight)
Fares Ziam vs. Don Madge (Lightweight)
Edson Barboza vs. Paul Felder (Lightweight)
Ottman Azaitar vs. Teemu Packalén (Lightweight)
Liana Jojua vs. Sarah Moras (Bantamweight)
Omari Akhmedov vs. Zak Cummings (Middleweight)
Adam Yandiev vs. Punahele Soriano (Middleweight)
