Gunnar Nelson will face a new opponent at UFC London with further replacements expected ahead of next weekend's card.
The Icelandic fighter, who fights out of Stoke-on-Trent, will now fight Japansese welterweight Takashi Sato in one of the headline fights on the preliminary card.
Takashi Sato takes the place of Claudio Silva, who has pulled out with an injury, as Sato accepted the fight on just 11 days notice. Sato hasn’t fought in the Octagon since his submission loss to Miguel Baeza in November 2020.
It comes after Dana White has admitted that he expects travel issues for Russian fighters competing at UFC London next weekend.
Six Russian fighters had been on the card for UFC Fight Night 204 with one, Liudvik Sholinian, already pulling out.
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This includes main event headliner Russian Alexander Volkov who will take on Tom Aspinall, the English heavyweight who trains in Liverpool.
Aspinall may now be forced to fight against an alternative opponent. Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, current flight and airspace restrictions make travel to and from Russia difficult - meaning fighters currently in their home country may struggle to leave.
White told Barstool Sports: "Yeah, you know, it’s obviously gonna cause problems. But we’ll figure it out."
As well as Volkov, Russian representation comes from Shamil Abdurakhimov and Sergei Pavlovich - two heavyweights who are scheduled to face each other - while Paul Craig's opponent Nikita Krylov may also be unable to travel as well as Jack Shore's opponent Timur Valiev.
Liverpool star Paddy Pimblett returns to action for his second UFC fight and will face Mexican Rodrigo 'Kazula' Vargas. Fellow Scouser Molly McCann is also on the card - she will fight Brazilian Luana Carolina.
Confirmed fight card as it stands
Tom Aspinall vs Alexander Volkov
Dan Hooker vs Arnold Allen
Paddy Pimblett vs Rodrigo Vargas
Paul Craig vs Nikita Krylov
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs Sergei Pavlovich
Gunnar Nelson vs Taskashi Sato
Jai Herbert vs Ilia Topuria
Jack Shore vs Timur Valiev
Mike Grundy vs Makwan AmirKhani
Molly McCann vs Luana Carolina
Mo Mokaev vs Cody Durden
Nathaniel Wood vs Vince Morales
Cory McKenna vs Elise Reed
