Tyson Nam Steps in to Face Sergio Pettis at UFC Mexico City on Sept. 21

Twenty-eight fight veteran Tyson Nam will get his first Octagon opportunity next month, as he has agreed to step in on short notice to face Sergio Pettis at UFC Mexico City.

The Las Vegas-based promotion recently announced the new bout. Nam will replace Alex Perez, who was forced to withdraw from the flyweight contest. UFC Fight Night 159 takes place at Mexico City Arena on Sept. 21 and is headlined by a featherweight tilt pitting Yair Rodriguez against Jeremy Stephens.

Nam is 6-1-1 in his last eight professional outings. The 35-year-old Sports Lab product initially rose to prominence thanks to a first-round knockout of then Bellator bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas at a Shooto Brazil event in August 2012. Nam would go on to lose his next four bouts, including a pair of appearances in World Series of Fighting.

Pettis, meanwhile, is returning to 125 pounds after losing a decision to Rob Font in a bantamweight scrap at UFC on Fox 31 this past December. The Roufusport product has lost three of his last four appearances within the Las Vegas-based promotion.