Azamat Murzakanov will fight Brendson Ribeiro at UFC 316 after Johnny Walker‘s withdrawal, with Murzakanov aiming to extend his undefeated streak, while the event in Newark also features title defenses by Merab Dvalishvili and Julianna Peña.
Azamat Murzakanov is now set to face Brendson Ribeiro at UFC 316. This change comes after Johnny Walker, the Brazilian light heavyweight, was forced off the June 7 pay-per-view event in Newark, N.J. MMA Fighting confirmed the news following a report from Super Lutas.
Why was Walker removed? That’s still a mystery.
Murzakanov, boasting a 14-0 record, aims to stretch his UFC winning streak to five in New Jersey. He last fought in August 2024, delivering a bonus-winning knockout over Alonzo Menifield. That was his second $50,000 award with the company. Impressive, right? He’s also achieved UFC stoppages against Tafon Nchukwi and Devin Clark.
On the flip side, Brendson Ribeiro, a former Shooto Brazil champion, faced a rocky start in the promotion. After a 0-2 beginning against Zhang Mingyang and Magomed Gadzhiyasulov, he bounced back. How? With a decision over Caio Machado and a second-round kimura win against the previously unbeaten Diyar Nurgozhay.
UFC 316 is happening at the Prudential Center. It features men’s bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili defending his title in a main event rematch with Sean O’Malley. Exciting stuff! Julianna Peña also co-headlines, defending the women’s 135-pound belt against Kayla Harrison, a two-time PFL champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. What a lineup!