Flyweight Prospect Rei Tsuruya Slated to Face Carlos Hernandez at UFC 303

With over two months to prepare, the replacement is not taking this matchup on short notice.

Undefeated Road to UFC season 2 flyweight tournament winner Rei Tsuruya (9-0) will step in for Cody Durden to take on Carlos Hernandez (9-3) in a 125-pound clash at UFC 303. This pay-per-view card will go down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 29. The news was first reported by ESPN Deportes on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Thursday.

Former Pancrase competitor Tsuruya strung together three solid performances on the Road to UFC season 2 tournament to walk away as the winner in the flyweight bracket. The 21-year-old most recently finished Niushiyue Ji in the first frame of February’s tournament finals, and he currently sports a stellar stoppage rate of 89% as a pro.

Dana White’s Contender Series alum Hernandez will return to the Octagon following a second-round knockout loss at the hands of Tsuruya’s compatriot, Tatsuro Taira, in December. The Illinois native currently sports a 2-2 record in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with wins over Victor Altamirano and Denys Bondar.

Other announced matchups for the event include a featherweight meeting between Cub Swanson and Andre Fili, and a strawweight clash pitting Michelle Waterson-Gomez against Gillian Robertson.