Azamat Murzakanov is set to face Brendson Ribeiro at UFC 316 after Brazilian light heavyweight Johnny Walker was forced to withdraw from the June 7 pay-per-view event in Newark, New Jersey, as confirmed by MMA Fighting and reported by Super Lutas.
The reason for Walker’s removal from the fight remains unclear.
Murzakanov, with a perfect record of 14-0, aims to continue his winning streak in the UFC to five in New Jersey. His last fight was a spectacular knockout victory over Alonzo Menifield in August 2024, earning him his second $50,000 bonus in the promotion. The Brave CF openweight grand prix winner has also secured impressive UFC stoppage wins against Tafon Nchukwi and Devin Clark.
Former Shooto Brazil champion Ribeiro (17-7, 1 no contest) faced adversity with a 0-2 start in the promotion against Zhang Mingyang and Magomed Gadzhiyasulov. However, he bounced back with a decision win over Caio Machado and a second-round kimura victory against the previously unbeaten Diyar Nurgozhay.
UFC 316 will take place at the Prudential Center, featuring men’s bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili defending his title in a highly anticipated rematch against Sean O’Malley in the main event. Julianna Peña will co-headline the event, putting her women’s 135-pound belt on the line against two-time PFL champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison.
This report includes contributions from Mike Heck.