UFC CEO Dana White took to social media last night to announce a major re-shuffling of the cards in the welterweight division.
Following Belal Muhammad's withdrawal from his upcoming welterweight title defence due to a toe infection, Ian Machado Garry will take his place to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310.
The two undefeated welterweights will meet in the co-main event over five rounds where one man will advance to challenge Muhammad once the champion is healthy again.
Rakhmonov has won six in a row inside the Octagon and has finished all 18 of his pro wins, submitting Stephen Thompson last time out.
Garry, on the other hand, has got his hand raised eight consecutive times since signing with the UFC, earning decision victories over Michael "Venom" Page and Geoff Neal in his recent outings.
Without this fight being for an interim title, the main event will now be the originally planned co-main event where Alexander Pantoja will defend his flyweight title against the debuting Japanese star, Kai Asakura.
Garry was previously set to headline the promotion's event in Tampa which would have taken place one week on from UFC 310.
His scheduled opponent, Joaquin Buckley, will now get the opportunity to welcome the former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington back to the Octagon on December 14.
Buckley is rising the best form of his career right now, winning five in a row at welterweight including a big knockout over "Wonderboy" Thompson last month.
Covington will be stepping in to replace Garry nearly a year to the day on from his disappointing defeat to Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 296 last December.
