‘Robocop’ is staying on the upcoming Brazil card after all.
The UFC has found a new opponent for Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 283 next Saturday.
‘Robocop’ announced in an interview with SuperBook Sports that his original opponent—Brad Tavares—was forced to withdraw from their upcoming fight after suffering an injury. Stepping up on short notice is Brunno Ferreira, the promotional newcomer following a successful appearance on Contender Series this past September.
Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting was first to report the new fight.
Rodrigues is 4-1 in the Octagon, with his only loss coming to Armen Petrosyan at UFC Vegas 49 in February. The one-time Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) champion rebounded with violent KOs of Julian Marquez and Chidi Njokuani at UFC Austin and UFC Vegas 60, the latter of which left him with one of the worst cuts in mixed martial arts history.
Undefeated as a professional fighter, Ferreira earned a contract with the UFC after finishing Leon Aliu by first-round KO. That was the seventh consecutive finish for the ‘Hulk.’
UFC 283 is set for Sat., Jan. 21, at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pay-per-view is expected to be headlined by a fight between Glover Texeira and Jamahal Hill for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship.