There’s been an opponent switch for Cody Stamann at UFC Vegas 18.
Rising bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili’s return to the cage will have to wait a little bit longer.
BJPenn.com reports that a matchup between Dvalishvili and Cody Stamann is no longer happening on the UFC’s Super Bowl weekend show on February 6th. Instead, Stamann will take on action fighter Andre Ewell. Dvalishvili is apparently still dealing with health problems stemming from COVID-19 and he wanted to have the fight pushed back, whereas Stamann wanted to remain on the card.
Stamann (19-3-1) is looking to get back into the win column following a unanimous decision loss to Jimmie Rivera last July. Prior to the setback vs. Rivera, he recorded an emotional victory over Brian Kelleher at UFC 250, shortly after the passing of his younger brother.
Ewell (17-6) is on a two-fight winning streak, having picked up split decisions over Jonathan Martinez and Irwin Rivera. He made his UFC debut back in 2018, scoring an upset win over former bantamweight champion Renan Barao. His overall UFC record is 4-2, with the two losses coming to Nathaniel Wood and Marlon Vera.
UFC Vegas 18 takes place at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas (duh) and is headlined by a heavyweight bout between Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov. The co-main event is expected to feature former UFC lightweight champion Franki Edgar in a key bantamweight showdown with Cory Sandhagen.