It didn’t take long for the UFC to find a replacement for the injured Luke Rockhold, as Brett Okamoto of ESPN is reporting that Ronaldo Souza will now face former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman at the event.
Jacare was originally supposed to fight David Branch at the same show and Branch is expected to remain on the card at this time, as UFC officials are now seeking a new opponent for him to fight.
Weidman (14-3-0) has won just one of his last four under the UFC banner, with that lone win coming over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC On Fox 25. Weidman is a former UFC Middleweight Champion as well, defeating Anderson Silva by second round knockout at UFC 162. Weidman also returns to action for the first time in over a year, as his last bout came in July of 2017.
Souza (25-6-0-1NC) has won just one of his last three under the UFC banner, with that lone victory coming over Derek Brunson at UFC On Fox 27. Souza has suffered a total of three defeats while competing in the UFC, which is the most losses the fighter has suffered in any promotion. Souza has suffered a total of six defeats as a professional MMA fighter, but the Brazilian has never been finished by way of submission.
UFC 230 takes place on Saturday, November 3 from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York with Daniel Cormier and Derrick Lewis headlining. Fightful is going to be providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
