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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Charlie Wilson

Gunnar Nelson to face new opponent at UFC London with further replacements expected

Gunnar Nelson will face a new opponent at UFC London with further replacements expected ahead of next weekend's card.

The Icelandic fighter, who fights out of Stoke-on-Trent, will now fight Japansese welterweight Takashi Sato in one of the headline fights on the preliminary card.

Takashi Sato takes the place of Claudio Silva, who has pulled out with an injury, as Sato accepted the fight on just 11 days notice. Sato hasn’t fought in the Octagon since his submission loss to Miguel Baeza in November 2020.

It comes after Dana White has admitted that he expects travel issues for Russian fighters competing at UFC London next weekend.

Six Russian fighters had been on the card for UFC Fight Night 204 with one, Liudvik Sholinian, already pulling out.

ALSO READ: Paddy Pimblett makes fresh Anfield claim ahead of UFC London return

This includes main event headliner Russian Alexander Volkov who will take on Tom Aspinall, the English heavyweight who trains in Liverpool.

Aspinall may now be forced to fight against an alternative opponent. Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, current flight and airspace restrictions make travel to and from Russia difficult - meaning fighters currently in their home country may struggle to leave.

White told Barstool Sports: "Yeah, you know, it’s obviously gonna cause problems. But we’ll figure it out."

As well as Volkov, Russian representation comes from Shamil Abdurakhimov and Sergei Pavlovich - two heavyweights who are scheduled to face each other - while Paul Craig's opponent Nikita Krylov may also be unable to travel as well as Jack Shore's opponent Timur Valiev.

Liverpool star Paddy Pimblett returns to action for his second UFC fight and will face Mexican Rodrigo 'Kazula' Vargas. Fellow Scouser Molly McCann is also on the card - she will fight Brazilian Luana Carolina.

Confirmed fight card as it stands

Tom Aspinall vs Alexander Volkov

Dan Hooker vs Arnold Allen

Paddy Pimblett vs Rodrigo Vargas

Paul Craig vs Nikita Krylov

Shamil Abdurakhimov vs Sergei Pavlovich

Gunnar Nelson vs Taskashi Sato

Jai Herbert vs Ilia Topuria

Jack Shore vs Timur Valiev

Mike Grundy vs Makwan AmirKhani

Molly McCann vs Luana Carolina

Mo Mokaev vs Cody Durden

Nathaniel Wood vs Vince Morales

Cory McKenna vs Elise Reed

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