Instead, “Cowboy” will square off against prospect Alexander Hernandez at UFC Fight Night 143 in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Jan. 19. The card takes place at the Barclays Center and marks the promotion’s debut on ESPN+. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the bout.
According to the report, Cerrone vs. Hernandez will be the featured bout of the prelims, which will air on the ESPN network. The main card, however, will stream on ESPN+ and is headlined by a flyweight title bout between Henry Cejudo and T.J. Dillashaw.
Cerrone, 35, has won two of his last three Octagon appearances, including a first-round submission of Mike Perry at his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night Denver on Nov. 10. “Cowboy” will return to 155 pounds for the first time since December 2015 following a 6-4 stint at welterweight.
Hernandez enters the matchup on an eight-fight winning streak, including triumphs over Beniel Dariush and Olivier Aubin-Mercier in the Las Vegas-based promotion. The 26-year-old San Antonio, Texas, native owns a 10-1 career mark that includes four wins by KO/TKO and two via submission.
Hernandez was previously scheduled to face Francisco Trinaldo at UFC 233. It is currently unknown if Trinaldo will remain on that card.