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Bill Algeo replaces Ryan Hall at UFC VEGAS 8
Last week news broke that Ryan Hall had pulled out of his August 29 bout with Ricardo Lamas due to injury. According to MMA Fighting the UFC have opted to keep Lamas on the card and have selected a promotional newcomer to take Hall’s place.
Multiple sources have told MMA Fighting that Bill Algeo is the man stepping up on short notice to fill in for the former TUF winner. Algeo has confirmed the booking on social media.
Algeo, whose nickname is ‘Senor Perfecto’, has a 13-4 record. Last year the 31-year-old appeared on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. There he lost a decision to Brendan Loughnane. Since then he has picked up a win over Tim Dooling in Cage Fury Fighting Championships.
Lamas’ last appearance in the UFC came at UFC 238 in June 2019, where he lost to Calvin Kattar via KO. Prior to that Lamas beat Elkins by TKO at UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Ponzinibbio in November, 2018.
Lamas joined the UFC after ZUFFA purchased World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) in 2010. Lamas appeared on the final ever WEC card, losing to Iuri Alcantara by KO. He got off to a hot start in the UFC’s new featherweight division, going on a four fight winning streak that earned him a title shot versus then champion Jose Aldo.
He lost to Aldo, via unanimous decision, at UFC 169 in 2014. Since then Lamas has gone 6-5 in the promotion. Over that span he has taken wins over Jason Knight, Charles Oliveira, Diego Sanchez and Dennis Bermudez.
UFC Vegas 8 is scheduled for the UFC APEX facility. Headlining that event is a match-up between former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic. The co-main event is Robbie Lawler vs. Neil Magny.