Due to visa issues, Olivier Aubin-Mercier will reportedly replace Mairbek Taisumov at UFC 223

It looks like there will be some hiccups on the road to UFC 223 in Brooklyn. No, the main title fights have not been altered. An exciting fight has been taken off the card due to a recurring theme for one fighter. Mairbek Taisumov must withdraw from his UFC 223 fight against Evan Dunham due to visa issues.

When the fight was previously announced, Mairbek’s (27-5) visa issues came up. He will have to continue to wait if a U.S.-based fight is what he had planned. It’s unfortunate considering all of the hype that has followed Mairbek, and the amount of times he has been denied over the past few years.

Throughout all of the chaos, Dunham (18-6-1) may have found a new opponent. It appears that Olivier Aubin-Mercier has stepped up. A tweet by Dunham seemed to confirm the rumors of a potential bout.

httpss://twitter.com/evandunham155/status/972255019658395648

The 29-year old from Canada made his UFC debut in 2013 for a season of The Ultimate Fighter. Aubin-Mercier (10-2) has won three in a row, and six of his last seven. Unlike Taisumov, he has won eight fights via submission, and none via KO. That seems like a direct match for Dunham, who has won six fights via submission.

UFC 223 takes place on April 7th inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The main event features a Lightweight Championship bout between Tony Ferguson and challenger Khabib Nurmagomedov. The co-main event features Rose Namajunas defending her Strawweight Title against Joanna Jedrzejczyk.