Brad Riddell out, Thiago Moises now expected to face newcomer Mitch Ramirez at UFC Vegas 88

Brad Riddell has been forced out of his upcoming return due to undisclosed reasons, so newcomer Mitch Ramirez is expected to replace him in a fight against Thiago Moises at UFC Vegas 88 on March 16 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Friday.

Ramirez makes his octagon debut with an 8-1 overall record, highlighted by a knockout win in LFA in his most recent outing this past December. Ramirez actually came up short in his bid to earn a UFC contract when he fell to Carlos Prates on the promotion’s Contender Series this past August, but now he’ll get his opportunity in a short-notice fight instead.

As for Moises, the Brazilian looks to bounce back following a loss to Benoit Saint Denis last year in a Fight of the Night effort at the UFC Paris card. Prior to that setback, Moises rattled off two straight wins over Melquizael Costa and Christos Giagos.

Moises and Ramirez join the UFC Vegas 88 card, which will be headlined by a heavyweight showdown pitting Tai Tuivasa against Marcin Tybura.