Promotion officials announced the change on Monday. UFC on Fox 29 takes place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on April 14 and is headlined by a lightweight duel between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. The main card airs on the Fox Network following prelims on Fox Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
A seven-time Bellator MMA veteran, Rainey enters his Octagon debut on the heels of back-to-back decision wins over Marc Stevens and Gilbert Smith within the California-based promotion. “The Sniper” owns a 13-4 career mark that includes seven triumphs via knockout or technical knockout.
Salikhov came up short in his promotional debut, as he tapped to an Alex Garcia rear-naked choke in the second round at UFC Fight Night 122. That halted an 11-fight winning streak that included victories over UFC veterans Melvin Gulliard and Ivan Jorge. “The King of Kung Fu” is 13-2 as a pro and has finished all but one of his wins inside the distance.