UFC on ESPN 73 has faced another fight week change.
Instead of Melsik Baghdasaryan, Joanderson Brito will now fight short-notice replacement and promotional newcomer Isaac Thomson in a featherweight battle Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It’s unclear why Baghdasaryan withdrew. The promotion officially confirmed the fight Wednesday after an initial report by Ag. Fight.
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Australia’s Thomson (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has competed mainly on the United States regional scene under the LFA banner. He enters the bout on a three-fight winning streak with five pro finishes to his name.
Brito (17-5-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC) looks to snap a two-fight skid after back-to-back decision losses. He was defeated by William Gomis in controversial fashion in September before a unanimous decision loss to Pat Sabatini in April.
The updated UFC on ESPN 73 lineup includes:
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Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape
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Giga Chikadze vs. Kevin Vallejos
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Cesar Almeida vs. Cezary vs. Oleksiejczuk
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Morgan Charriere vs. Melquizael Costa
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Marcus Buchecha vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
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Lance Gibson Jr. vs. King Green
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Amanda Lemos vs. Gillian Robertson
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Joanderson Brito vs. Isaac Thomson
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Yaroslav Amosov vs. Neil Magny
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Steven Asplund vs. Sean Sharaf
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Melissa Croden vs. Luana Santos
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Allen Frye vs. Guilherme Pat
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Tereza Bleda vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC books late-notice replacement bout for Saturday’s card
