Newcomer Ante Delija In for Shamil Abdurakhimov, Faces Ciryl Gane at UFC Fight Night 180
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Delija will serve as a replacement for Shamil Abdurakhimov, who withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons. French outlet La Sueur was first to report the new heavyweight pairing. UFC Fight Night 180 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 17 and is headlined by a featherweight scrap between Brian Ortega and Chan Sung Jung.
A native of Dubrovnik, Croatia, the 30-year-old Delija has compiled a 17-3 record since beginning his professional career in 2011. He has competed for organizations such as M-1 Global, Rizin, Professional Fighters League and KSW during his MMA tenure. In his last outing, “Walking Trouble” earned a second-round TKO against Oli Thompson at KSW 51.
Gane, meanwhile, has been victorious in his first six professional outings — including three in the UFC. After submitting Raphael Pessoa and Don’Tale Mayes in his first two promotional appearances, “Bon Gamin” outpointed Tanner Boser at UFC Fight Night 165 on Dec. 21.
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