Rising bantamweight contender Raoni Barcelos needs a new opponent on February 27th.
An all-Brazilian bantamweight clash if now off the table for February 27th.
MMA Junkie reports that veteran Raphael Assuncao has withdrawn from his matchup with Raoni Barcelos for undisclosed reasons. The search is now on for a replacement opponent to take on Barcelos, who has had four fights scrapped just since 2019.
Assuncao (27-8) is on a three-fight losing skid, albeit all to top competition in the form of Marlon Moraes, Cory Sandhagen, and former champion Cody Garbrandt. Although he’s not had the best of times lately, Assuncao is still #10 in the official rankings. His last win was a decision over Rob Font at UFC 226 in 2018.
Barcelos (16-1) is not even ranked at 135 lbs yet, hence this was a big opportunity for him to finally enter the rankings. The former RFA featherweight champion is 5-0 in the UFC and 4-0 at bantamweight. His most recent bout was a Fight of the Night unanimous decision win over Khalid Taha.
UFC Vegas 20, initially slated to be headlined by light heavyweight contenders Jiri Prochazka and Dominick Reyes, will now feature a five-round heavyweight scrap between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane.