Cody Garbrandt bounced from UFC 255, Deiveson Figueiredo now fights Alex Perez

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt will be putting his drop to flyweight on hold after withdrawing from the upcoming UFC 255 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for Sat., Nov. 21, 2020 inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

That’s according to a report from Combate.

“I tore my bicep on Monday,” Garbrandt wrote on social media. “The UFC decided to replace me but told me I’ll face the winner. Time to heal and stay ready. Control what you can control in this life. I always count my blessings when negative things arise.”

Taking over for “No Love” is No. 4-ranked flyweight Alex Perez (24-5), who was originally expected to compete against Brandon Moreno at the same event. Instead, he’ll collide with reigning flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (19-1).

Perez, 28, cut his teeth on Season 1 of Dana White’s “Contender Series,” earning his way onto the roster with a first-round submission over Kevin Gray. Since then, the Californian has put together a 6-1 record with four nasty finishes.

Also featured at the UFC 255 PPV event is the flyweight championship battle between Valentina Shevchenko (c) and Jennifer Maia, while Mauricio Rua and Paul Craig run it back in light heavyweight action. In addition, Robbie Lawler and Mike Perry collide at 170 pounds.