Damir Hadzovic has been removed from his UFC Vegas 86 bout against Bolaji Oki due to visa-related issues, and will be replaced by Timothy Cuamba.
Damir Hadzovic’s return to the octagon has hit a snag. It’s just not his day, it seems.
The UFC dropped a bombshell on Wednesday. They’ve pulled Hadzovic from his lightweight match with Bolaji Oki. That fight was set for this Saturday at the UFC Vegas 86 event. But guess who’s stepping in? Timothy Cuamba, a recent Contender Series competitor, is taking the reins.
Why the switch? The officials didn’t spill the beans. But Hadzovic did. He took to social media, revealing that it’s all about visa issues.
“Fight’s off. Slow work-visa processing,” Hadzovic posted. “Can’t tell you how gutted I am. Just rotten luck. Hoping for a new fight soon.”
This was meant to be Hadzovic’s comeback. His first fight since July 2022 and only his third since March 2020. And guess what? Visa problems also sidelined him from a match against Steve Garcia at UFC Vegas 52.
So, what’s the new match-up? It’s a face-off between two UFC newcomers. Oki just signed with the promotion from Contender Series. And Cuamba? He was in the ring just last weekend at a Tuff-N-Uff event in Vegas.
Oki’s record? Impressive. He’s 8-1, having defeated Dylan Salvador via a first-round TKO in August. That win got him his UFC contract. After a loss in his pro debut in 2018, “The Zulu Warrior” has been on a roll, with eight straight victories. Only two of those wins went to the scorecards.
And Cuamba? He’s also 8-1. He was on the same Contender Series card as Oki. He won his fight against Mateo Vogel by unanimous decision but didn’t get a contract. Now, he’s stepping in at short notice, just eight days after a second-round knockout of Michael Stack.
Want the updated UFC Vegas 86 lineup? Here it is:
Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer. Dan Ige vs. Andre Fili. Brad Tavares vs. Gregory Rodrigues. Michael Johnson vs. Darrius Flowers. Robert Bryczek vs. Ihor Potieria. Rodolfo Vieira vs. Armen Petrosyan. Trevin Giles vs. Carlos Prates. Loma Lookboonmee vs. Bruna Brasil. Devin Clark vs. Marcin Prachnio. Max Griffin vs. Jeremiah Wells. Zac Pauga vs. Bogdan Guskov. Daniel Marcos vs. Aoriqileng. Hyder Amil vs. Fernie Garcia. And last but not least, Bolaji Oki vs. Timothy Cuamba.