A change has been made to the upcoming Gamebred FC card on April 10 that kicks off the $500k heavyweight tournament.
Ex-UFC heavyweight Mohammed Usman has been forced off the card due to undisclosed reasons and former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Thiago Santos has been tapped as his replacement. Santos is now set to clash with Guto Inocente in one of the opening round matchups for the 16-man tournament that also features Anthony Smith coming out of retirement to face Chase Sherman on the same card.
Promotion officials confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Tuesday.
Usman’s exit comes after he was released from the UFC following news that he was facing an 18-month suspension for violating the company’s anti-doping policy.
With Usman out, Santos takes his place after booking his first fight since 2024 when he faced Denis Goltsov in the PFL. At his peak, Santos ranked as one of the top light heavyweights in the UFC, which included his run for the title when he took Jon Jones to a split decision back at UFC 239 in 2019.
Unfortunately after his razor-close fight against Jones, Santos struggled to get back on track with a 1-7 record with one no contest over his next nine fights.
But Santos attempts to right the ship when he returns in April to face Inocente in an opening round matchup for the Gamebred FC heavyweight tournament.
The event takes place in the Dominican Republic with the card airing live on Masvidal’s YouTube channel in April.
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