Frankie Saenz Replaces Thomas Almeida, Meets Marlon Vera at UFC 235

Frankie Saenz will step in for the injured Thomas Almeida and face Marlon Vera at UFC 235. ESPN was first to report the change, and Saenz subsequently confirmed the bantamweight booking on his Instagram account. Almeida was forced to withdraw from the contest as a result of an eye injury that required surgery.

UFC 235 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship tilt between Jon Jones and Anthony Smith. In the co-main event, Tyron Woodley will defend the welterweight strap against Kamaru Usman.

Saenz, 38, enters the matchup on a two-fight winning streak after earning a unanimous decision over Enrique Briones at UFC Fight Night 129 and taking a split verdict against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC Fight Night 123. Saenz is 5-3 during his UFC tenure.

The 26-year-old Vera is coming off finishes of Guido Cannetti and Wuliji Buren in his most recent two UFC appearances.

View this post on Instagram

Enjoying my journey. Marlon Vera wanted this fight in November now he’s got it. Be careful what you ask for. #ufc235 #fightready

A post shared by Frankie Saenz (@panchsaenz) on Feb 2, 2019 at 7:01am PST