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In an unexpected turn of events, Ihor Potieria is set to replace Makhmud Muradov and take on Michel Pereira at UFC 301, scheduled to be held at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 4.
Multiple sources familiar with the situation confirmed this switch, which comes after Muradov withdrew from the card due to an infection, as reported by Alex Behunin.
Potieria, with a record of 21 wins and 5 losses, was initially slated to fight Shara Magomedov on June 22. However, he has now been moved up to the UFC 301 pay-per-view event.
The Ukrainian fighter recently showcased his skills with a victory over Robert Bryczek in February, although he faced a weight miss before that bout. Notably, Potieria secured his first UFC win at the same Farmasi Arena back in January 2023, where he retired the legendary Mauricio “Shogun” Rua with a first-round knockout.
Meanwhile, Pereira, boasting a record of 30 wins, 11 losses, and 2 no-contests, is gearing up for a swift return to the octagon. Just under two months ago, he claimed a stunning 61-second submission victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 299.
Pereira's recent successes include a five-fight winning streak in the welterweight division, defeating notable opponents such as Santiago Ponzinibbio, Andre Fialho, and Niko Price. Following a move up to the middleweight division after a weight miss in a canceled bout with Stephen Thompson, Pereira has maintained his momentum with impressive finishes over Andre Petroski and Oleksiejczuk.
As the anticipation builds for UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, fans eagerly await the clash between Pereira and Potieria, expecting an action-packed showdown in the middleweight division.