Ricky Simon is still scheduled to compete at the upcoming UFC Atlanta event this Saturday, but he will now face a new opponent due to unforeseen circumstances.
Sources close to the promotion have confirmed that Simon is set to fight Cameron Smotherman. Smotherman is stepping in on short notice to fill a spot on the Fight Night card marking the UFC`s return to Atlanta. Eurosport was the first outlet to report this fight booking.
Smotherman is replacing Charles Jourdain, who was forced to withdraw from the bout because of an eye injury. The 27-year-old Smotherman will be making his third appearance in the octagon, and remarkably, this will be his second fight in as many months. He previously won his UFC debut with a unanimous decision over Jake Hadley, but lost his subsequent fight to Serhiy Sidey in May.
Ricky Simon, a 32-year-old veteran of the sport, recently snapped a three-fight losing skid. He secured an impressive upset victory via submission against Javid Basharat during a UFC event in February. Simon is preparing to make his 15th walk to the octagon, where he will be aiming for his tenth win within the promotion.
The main event for the UFC Atlanta card is a highly anticipated welterweight showdown. It features former divisional champion Kamaru Usman making his return to action against the surging contender Joaquin Buckley.
