LFA Champ Bruno Souza Replaces T.J. Laramie, Meets Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC 268

Legacy Fighting Alliance featherweight champ Bruno Souza will step in on short notice to face Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC 268 on Saturday.

Souza is a replacement for T.J. Laramie, who recently announced his withdrawal from the event due to an MRSA infection. MMA DNA was first to report the new pairing. UFC 268 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York and is headlined by a welterweight title rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.

A protégé of former UFC title holder Lyoto Machida, Souza has been victorious in 10 of his first 11 professional outings. The 25-year-old known as “The Tiger” captured featherweight gold with a unanimous verdict against Javier Garcia at LFA 114 on Aug. 27. He also owns notable wins over UFC talent Kamuela Kirk and Bellator veteran Mike Hamel.

Anchored at Glendale Fighting Club, Baghdasaryan is a former competitor on Dana White’s Contender Series. Though he didn’t initially earn a contract with his win over Dennis Buzukja in 2020, he made his Octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 28, where he knocked out Collin Anglin in the second round.