It was reported last week that UFC 309 this Saturday would be down a fight unless a replacement opponent could be found on short notice. David Onama was set to face Lucas Almeida on the prelims at Madison Square Garden.
This would have been Almeida’s fifth appearance in the Octagon following a win last time out in June over Timmy Cuamba via a unanimous decision. Unfortunately, Almeida withdrew from the fight and the UFC started looking for someone else to face Onama.
Fans were getting concerned after not hearing anything for close to a week until it was announced, just days out from fight night, that Mexico’s Roberto Romero will be stepping in to make his UFC debut. Romero’s management Iridium Sports Agency made the new official via their social media channels.
At 24-years old, Romero has built a pro record of 8-3-1. His last eight fights all came under the Combate Global banner where he won six fights in a row, with one draw in between, before suffering a decision loss to Ireland’s Patrick Lehane last December. He went on to rebound with a first round submission win over Takahiro Ashida this past July.
He will now face Uganda’s Onama on November 16 as the 30-year old looks to build on his back-to-back wins inside the Octagon, including a bonus-winning knockout over Gabriel Santos last year. This now puts the card at a total of 13 fights for the promotion’s return to the world’s most famous arena following a few changes in opponents and a cancelled fight.
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