The ongoing scheduling saga between Kiwi UFC light heavyweight Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes has taken yet another twist.
The American has been forced to withdraw from their bout at UFC Atlantic City on March 24, due to injury. Alonzo Menifield (15-3) will step in as Reyes' replacement to face the 'Black Jag' on short notice.
Ulberg and Reyes were originally booked to fight at last weekend's UFC 297 at Toronto, before the Aucklander's lingering foot injury saw the contest shifted to next month's card at New Jersey.
While Menifield doesn't bring the same name value as former title challenger Reyes - who pushed champion Jon Jones to the limit in February 2020 - he does offer more opportunity for Ulberg to boost his stock.
Injury-plagued Reyes, 34, hasn't fought since November 2022 and has lost his past four fights, albeit against high-calibre opposition.
Menifield is arguably a much more dangerous proposition inside the Octagon. Renowned for his heavy right hand, the Californian sits two spots above Reyes at No.12 in the division's official rankings and is undefeated through his past five bouts, dating back to June 2022.
Three of those wins came inside the distance, with his most recent victory coming against Dustin Jacoby at UFC 296 in December.
City Kickboxing's Ulberg is one of the light-heavyweight division's biggest movers over the past 12 months. He's currently riding a five-fight win streak, forcing the referee to end the last four early.
He earned his first submission win in his most recent fight at Sydney's UFC 293 in September, defeating South Korea's Jung Da-Un in the third round to take his mixed martial arts record to 9-1.
Menifield has followed a similar UFC path to Ulberg, earning a multi-fight contract by impressing on Dana White's Contender Series in 2018.
He's fought 12 times with the promotion, for eight wins, three losses and a draw.
