Credit:Getty/UFC
Credit: Getty/UFC
Credit: Getty/UFC
The third time is the charm—or so Sean
Woodson must hope after seeing his opponent change that many
times in the past few days.
Advertisement
Woodson (9-1-1, 3-1-1 UFC) seems to have found his final opponent
for the upcoming UFC on ESPN 50 event, as Mairon
Santos Alves has stepped up to replace Jesse
Butler on short notice. Originally a replacement for Steve
Garcia, Butler was pulled out of the contest by the Nevada
State Athletic Commission due to safety protocols, as he suffered a
knockout loss 23 seconds into his Ultimate Fighting Championship
debut against Jim Miller at
UFC on ESPN 46 on June 3. Woodson confirmed the matchup on his
socials, though it was not immediately clear whether the fight will
take place at featherweight, as the Butler and Garcia matchups had
both been scheduled to do, or at a higher weight.
A Dana White’s Contender Series graduate, Woodson
is coming off a rare split draw in his UFC 278 clash with Luis
Saldana. Prior to that, “The Sniper” took home victories over
Collin
Anglin and Youssef
Zalal, bouncing back from a submission loss to Julian
Erosa.
Legacy Fighting Alliance alum Alves (13-1, 0-0
UFC) is an interesting prospect who has lost only to Dan Argueta
in his career. “A Lenda” has scored a unanimous decision victory in
his latest assignment. His record includes seven finishes by
strikes.
UFC on ESPN 50 will go down at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville,
Tennessee, on Aug. 5. The 12-fight card is headlined by Cory
Sandhagen and Rob Font, who
will collide in a 140-pound catchweight clash, and also features a
strawweight affair between Jessica
Andrade and Tatiana
Suarez as the co-main event.