UFC Fight Night 234 on Jan. 13 Undergoes Multiple Changes

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first offering of 2024 will have a slightly different look than originally anticipated after changes to multiple bouts on the card.

Yana Santos has withdrawn from a proposed bantamweight booking against Norma Dumont after suffering a broken nose. MMAjunkie.com confirmed Santos’ exit after the fighter announced the injury on social media. It is currently unknown if Dumont will remain on the card against a replacement opponent.

Elsewhere, Matthew Semelsberger will replace Bassil Hafez and lock horns with Preston Parsons in a welterweight scrap. Parsons confirmed the new pairing on social media. The reason for Hafez’s withdrawal is currently unknown. Semelsberger has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances, including a third-round TKO defeat against Uros Medic in his most recent outing at UFC 291. Parsons suffered a split-decision setback against Trevin Giles at UFC on ESPN 43 in his lone bout of 2023.

Finally, Denys Bondar is out of a flyweight matchup with Felipe Bunes. As a result, Joshua Van will step in on short notice against the Brazilian newcomer. MMAjunkie.com was first to confirm the change. Van has been victorious in nine of his 10 professional fights, including back-to-back triumphs over Zhalgas Zhumagulov and Kevin Borjas to kick off his UFC tenure. Bunes will enter his first Octagon foray on the heels of two straight wins under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner.

UFC Fight Night 234 takes place on Jan. 13 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker.