Canadians T.J. (The Truth) Laramie and Tanner (The Bulldozer) Boser have new opponents for their upcoming UFC fights.
Laramie (12-4-0) will now face American featherweight Pat Sabatini (16-3-0) on an April 16 Fight Night card in Las Vegas. The 24-year-old from Windsor. Ont., was originally slated to meet Melsik (The Gun) Baghdasaryan but the American pulled out though injury.
Boser was to meet heavyweight Rodrigo Nascimento on an April 23 Fight Night card in Las Vegas. But Moldova's Alexander (King Kong) Romanov (15-0-0) stepped in after the Brazilian pulled out with an injury.
"Nascimento dropped out. Smart move on his part," Boser tweeted. "Romanov wants in? Fine. I don't care who it is."
Laramie was slated to meet Baghdasaryan on Nov. 6 on the undercard of UFC 268 at Madison Square Garden but had to pull out due to a staph infection. Both fighters are graduates of Dana White's Contender Series.
Laramie was the first Canadian to earn a UFC contract via the TV show. He lost his UFC debut by first-round submission to Darrick Miner in September 2020.
Laramie was due to face Damon (The Leech) Jackson last May but had to pull out due to injury.
Sabatini was originally scheduled to fight Canadian Gavin Tucker at UFC 273 on April 9, but switched cards and opponents after Tucker withdrew due to "undisclosed" reasons, according to the UFC.
Sabatini has won his last five fights, including three in the UFC.
The main event of the April 16 card at the UFC's Apex production facility features American-born Brazilian Vicente (The Silent Assassin) Luque, ranked fourth among welterweight contenders, and No. 5 Belal (Remember The Name) Muhammad.
Boser (20-8-1) is coming off a second-round KO of Ovince St. Preux last June that snapped a two-fight losing streak.
The 30-year-old mixed martial artist from Bonnyville, Alta., who now calls Edmonton home, accepted the St. Preux fight on short notice after St. Preux's original opponent, Russian Maxim Grishin, was unable to compete due to visa issues. St. Preux agreed to move up to heavyweight to face Boser, who had requested a quick return to action after a June 5 split-decision loss to Sweden's Ilir (The Sledgehammer) Latifi.
Boser is 4-3-0 in the UFC with his other losses to former heavyweight champion Andrei (The Pit Bull) Arlovski and former interim titleholder Cyril (Bon Gamin) Gane.
Romanov has won all four of his UFC fights.
The all-Brazilian main event April 23 features Amanda Lemos and Jessica Andrade. A former strawweight champion, Andrade moves down from flyweight to face Lemos
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2022
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
