UFC Vegas 113 is ready to be the first Fight Night event of the UFC-Paramount era. But as the event night approaches, it has taken a hit. As such, Said Nurmagomedov has reportedly pulled out of his scheduled bout.

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With Mario Bautista and Vinicius Oliveira headlining the event, the card featured a lot of exciting matchups. The likes of Amir Albazi, Jailton Almeida, and Kyoji Horiguchi are some of the fighters in the undercard. Amid that, one of the prelims matchups had Nurmagomedov competing against Javid Basharat. But as reports surfaced, the fight has been called off.

Mexican MMA champion replaces Said Nurmagomedov

According to a report from @ClubDeLasMMA on X, Said Nurmagomedov has pulled out of his fight against Javid Basharat. And as a replacement, Gianni Vasquez will step in on short notice. Interestingly, for Vasquez, it will be his debut in the leading MMA promotion.

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He has been one of the top talents in the Up Next Fighting (UNF) and reigned as their flyweight champion. At UNF, Vasquez stands on a five-fight winning streak, and considering his overall professional MMA career, the Mexican boasts a record of 13-4-1.

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While his records surely promise to be very exciting, it will be interesting to see how Vasquez performs against the UFC talent roster. Meanwhile, the trouble for Nurmagomedov continues to loom as he even struggles to make an appearance inside the Octagon.

A look into Said Nurmagomedov’s UFC career

Said Nurmagomedov comes from Dagestan, Russia. And coming from that region, the expectations surrounding him are quite high. But his run in the UFC has not been quite consistent. Initially, Nurmagomedov was on a very good run of form, winning six out of his seven fights. Then came his fight against Jonathan Martinez, where he suffered his second UFC loss.

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Since that fight, Nurmagomedov went 1-2 in his UFC career, with his most recent defeat being against Bryce Mitchell at UFC Abu Dhabi last year. With a win over Javid Basharat, the Dagestani fighter could have made a turnaround in his UFC career. As such, Basharat was also coming from two back-to-back losses. And the matchup seemed quite favorable for Nurmagomedov to dominate.

Now, while the reports suggest that the bout between Nurmagomedov and Basharat has been called off, the UFC has yet to make an official announcement on it. On that note, will Gianni Vasquez defeat Javid Basharat on his debut at UFC Vegas 113? Let us know in the comments below!

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Nilaav Ranjan Gogoi

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Nilaav Gogoi is an NFL Writer at EssentiallySports, where he covers the league's news cycle with a focus on player storylines, off-field and legal developments, and the reactions that follow the NFL's biggest controversies. His reporting ranges across teams like the Browns, Steelers, Eagles, and Giants, tracking everything from roster drama to the veteran voices weighing in on the league's hot-button moments. A former national-level athlete, Nilaav brings a competitive perspective to his writing, pairing technical insight with clear, accessible storytelling. He moved to football after more than two years covering MMA and boxing on the combat sports beat. He is also pursuing a degree in Sports Management, approaching his work with analytical rigor and long-term industry awareness, aiming to deliver informed, engaging coverage for NFL fans.

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Ashvinkumar Nilkanth Patil