Cody Stamann vs. Merab Dvalishvili won’t take place Dec. 5.
The UFC is currently seeking a replacement to fight Dvalishvili after Stamann withdrew from the bantamweight matchup, which was expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
A person with knowledge of Stamman’s withdrawal confirmed the news to MMA Junkie after an initial report from Georgian MMA reporter Giorgi Kokiashvili. The person, who requested anonymity, informed MMA Junkie that Stamann did not test positive for COVID-19 as reported.
Stamann (19-3-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) lost his most recent outing vs. Jimmie Rivera by unanimous decision. The defeat was his first in four fights, a stretch dating back to September 2018.
Since dropping his first two UFC appearances, Dvalishvili (12-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has rallied to win five straight fights. In his most recent outing at UFC 252 in August, Dvalishivili defeated former UFC flyweight title challenger John Dodson by unanimous decision.
With Stamann’s withdrawal, the Dec. 5 lineup now includes:
- Jack Hermansson vs. Darren Till
- Merab Dvalishvili vs. TBA
- Bethe Correia vs. Yanan Wu
- Jake Collier vs. Gian Villante
- Maryna Moroz vs. Taila Santos
- Cody Durden vs. Jimmy Flick
- John Allan vs. Roman Dolidze
- Jamahal Hill vs. Ovince Saint Preux
