2 Changes To Massive UFC 308 Card Have Made The Event Even Better

The sparkling UFC 308 main card is still intact, headlined by Ilia Topuria defending his featherweight title against Max Holloway. Still, two noteworthy changes to the event’s prelim lineup have occurred. According to UFC.

com , oft-injured heavyweight Justin Tafa has withdrawn from his fight with Kennedy Nzechukwu. Chris Barnett is replacing Tafa. Also, rugged Uzbekistani welterweight Nursulton Ruziboev withdrew from his fight with Rinat Fakhretdinov.



Former LFA champion Carlos Leal will replace Ruziboev. Tafa, 30, is 7-4 as a professional mixed martial artist, but he has built a history of withdrawing from fights with the promotion. According to Tapology, Tafa has withdrawn from five fights with the UFC.

Tafa debuted with the promotion in 2019, losing his debut to Yorgan De Castro, but the withdrawals began in 2020 when he bowed out of a fight against Raphael Pessoa in July 2020. He lost back-to-back fights before gaining a win over Harry Hunsucker in December 2021 via head kick. Unfortunately, Tafa missed the 265-pound limit by two pounds for that fight.

Since 2022, Tafa has withdrawn from fights with Jake Collier, Don’Tale Mayes, Marcos Rogerio de Lima, and Nzechukwu. Barnett is one of the most fun fighters in the heavyweight division. Despite standing just 5-foot-9, the 38-year-old known as Beast Boy fights an all-action style.

Case in point: 78% of his 23 wins as a pro have come by KO. He will give up eight inches of height and reach Nzechukwu, but Barnett is no stranger to length disadvantages in his career. This fight could be a fun one.

Ruziboev looked like a world-beater in his first two fights in the UFC, but Joaquin Buckley nullified and defeated him in May. The battle with Fakhretdinov was designed to put him back on a path toward earning a ranking in the UFC’s welterweight division. That redirection will have to wait for another time.

As it is, Leal is more than qualified to step into the Octagon with Fakhretdinov. The 30-year-old Brazilian won an LFA Grand Prix in 2021 and had a successful stint with the Professional Fighters League, going 5-2. His only two losses came via a decision to the highly respected Sadibou Sy.

Leal has two first-round finishes this year via strikes, and he steps in on short notice to get his first chance to fight and stick in the UFC. If he wins, he’s a virtual lock to be added to the roster, which should mean we’ll see a spirited effort from him. In the fights we’ve seen from Fakhretdinov, he only knows one speed, and that’s all-out.

The combination of approaches could make for an exciting fight. Here is the revamped look at UFC 308, which will take place in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, October 26. Main Card - 2 PM ET Undercard - 10 AM ET.