AJ Cunningham, Bernardo Sopai Step Up as Replacements for UFC Vegas 87

With less than a week to go until UFC Vegas 87, the card has seen its share of shakeups. Originally slated lightweight bouts between Joel Alvarez and L’udovit Klein and bantamweight prospects Yanis Ghemmouri and Venecius Oliveira have been scrapped due to injury and visa issues, respectively. However, the show must go on, and the UFC has found some more than capable replacements to step in and keep the lightweight and featherweight divisions churning.

J.Álvarez out. Ľudovít Klein will now fight AJ Cunningham at #UFCVegas87 on March 2nd. (first rep. @AlexBehunin) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2024 pic.twitter.com/4pmMwOJ0u7

— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) February 26, 2024

Y.Ghemmouri out. Vinicius Oliveira will now fight Bernardo Sopai at #UFCVegas87 on March 2nd. (first rep. @guicruzzz) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2024 pic.twitter.com/1F6BN0R8VW

— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) February 27, 2024

At 155 pounds, AJ Cunningham (11-3) will now lock horns with L’udovit Klein (20-4-1). Cunningham, coming off a dominant round one TKO win over Justice Lamperez at RDC 9, will be looking to make it two in a row and establish himself as a threat in the stacked lightweight division. Klein, meanwhile, is riding a three-fight unbeaten streak and is quickly emerging as a dark horse contender in the weight class. This fight has the potential to be an absolute war, with both men known for their relentless pressure and willingness to brawl.

In the bantamweight division, Bernardo Sopai (11-2) has been called upon to face Vinicius Oliveira (19-3). Sopai, who has won his last three fights in a row, is no stranger to taking on short-notice opportunities and always puts on exciting performances. Oliveira, on the other hand, is looking to make it three in a row after he knocked out Victor Madrigal in the Contender Series last year to secure his UFC contract. This is a striker vs. striker clash, with both Sopai and Oliveira looking to use their superiors Muay Thai to get another highlight-reel knockout on their resumes.

While these replacement bouts may not have had the same initial buzz as the original matchups, they have the potential to be just as exciting, if not more so. Cunningham and Klein are both gritty grinders who will leave it all in the Octagon, and Sopai and Oliveira are both dangerous finishers who could steal the show with one punch or submission. With the main event featuring a heavyweight fight between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Shamil Gaziev, UFC Vegas 87 is shaping up to be an action-packed event from top to bottom.