Umar Nurmagomedov is unavailable to fight in March, and Timur Valiev is stepping into his place to fight Jack Shore.
Following Nurmagomedov’s withdraw from UFC Fight Night on March 19, which does not have an official location or broadcast plans, Valiev (18-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has agreed to fill in as a replacement against undefeated bantamweight prospect Shore (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC).
Both fighter verified the new matchup on social media following an initial report from MMA Fight Universe.
Shore, 26, has yet to encounter defeat in his MMA career. He joined the UFC roster in September 2019 and has managed to rattle off four straight victories inside the octagon, with his first pair coming by submission. The Welshman’s most recent victories each came by way of decision.
Looking to end Shore’s flawless run will be Valiev, 31, who is riding a nine-fight unbeaten streak dating back to February 2016. The Russian has won his past two UFC appearances by decision, including edging out Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 190 in June.
The exact nature behind Nurmagomedov pulling out of the initial fight with Shore is unknown at this time.
The latest UFC Fight Night lineup for March 19 includes:
- Francisco Figueiredo vs. Jake Hadley
- Luana Carolina vs. Molly McCann
- Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev
- Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy
- Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev
