UFC 317 is experiencing a last-minute fighter change just days before the scheduled pay-per-view event.
The promotion has announced that Sedriques Dumas is out of his scheduled middleweight bout against fellow newcomer Jackson McVey for undisclosed reasons. Stepping in to fill the spot will be Christopher Ewert, another undefeated fighter set to make his UFC debut.
Ewert, 31, began his professional career in December 2022 and has quickly earned a spot on the UFC`s annual International Fight Week card. With a perfect 8-0 record, he was previously expected to appear on Dana White`s Contender Series in August. His recent victories include a first-round knockout and a decision win during his time in Fury FC.
His opponent, McVey, 26, also holds an unblemished professional record of 6-0. Notably, all six of McVey`s wins have come via first-round finishes, with only one fight extending beyond the two-minute mark.
The UFC 317 event is headlined by a fight for the vacant lightweight championship between former featherweight king Ilia Topuria and former 155-pound titleholder Charles Oliveira. The co-main event features Alexandre Pantoja defending his flyweight title against potent striker Kai Kara-France.
Marcus Blakely