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UFC Announces 2 Major Updates for UFC 308

Two fights have arguably been improved this weekend at UFC 308.

Mathew Riddle

UFC

Two fights have seen some changes ahead of UFC 308 on Saturday, October 26.

Featherweight history is made this weekend as Ilia Topuria makes his first title defense against former champion Max Holloway. The undercard also brings some exciting action, including the return of Khamzat Chimaev, but two other fights have seen some major changes.

Tafa out, Barnett in

The UFC officially announced the changes on October 21. Firstly, heavyweight banger Justin Tafa has been removed from his fight with Kennedy Nzechukwu. Replacing Tafa is fan-favorite Chris Barnett, a short, deceptively athletic heavyweight who gained massive traction for his spinning wheel kick knockout over Gian Villante in 2021.

Barnett was originally set to face Junior Tafa on October 12 but withdrew due to complications from Hurricane Milton. His addition to UFC 308 could improve the event, as Nzechukwu has recently showcased his wrestling skills—a known weakness for Justin Tafa. 'Beast Boy' also gets to fight in front of a crowd rather than the empty APEX warehouse.

Ruziboev out, Leal in

Also on the prelims, Rinat Fakhretdinov's original opponent, Nursulton Ruziboev, has withdrawn. In his place, Carlos Leal has stepped in. Leal is an LFA and PFL alumn, winning the LFA 2022 welterweight grand prix. 'The Lion' rides a two-fight winning streak, and is 8-2 in his last 10 performances, only dropping losses to Sadibou Sy in the PFL playoffs.

In a similar case to Tafa with Nzechukwu, this fight might have been improved. Ruziboev's wrestling defense was exposed against Joaquin Buckley in his last fight, and Leal provides a much more interesting stylistic matchup.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist  and graphic designer. He joined MMAKO when it was first founded in 2023. Find his work on The Fight Fanatic & Heavy on UFC. He can be contacted on mr@thefightfanatic.com

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