Tyson Nam to debut as replacement opponent for Sergio Pettis at UFC Mexico City

A 13-year veteran is making his first walk to the Octagon as an injury replacement.

MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin confirmed with sources that Tyson Nam (18-9-1) is stepping in for Alex Perez to fight Sergio Pettis (17-5) in a flyweight bout at UFC Mexico City. Perez recently announced his own withdrawal via social media.

Nam, who has been competing professionally since 2006, made a name for himself at a Shooto Brasil show seven years ago when he KO’d then-Bellator champion Eduardo Dantas in under two minutes. Since then, the 35-year-old has had mixed results competing for promotions such as the former World Series of Fighting and Fight Nights Global, though he has won six of his last seven fights, including a third-round knockout of one-time UFC title challenger Ali Bagautinov.

For Pettis, this marks his return to 125 pounds after a one-fight stint at bantamweight that saw him lose a unanimous decision to Rob Font last December. Prior to changing divisions, Pettis was ranked in the top-10 of the flyweight division on the strength of wins over the likes of world title challengers Joseph Benavidez, John Moraga, and Chris Cariaso.

UFC Mexico City takes place at Arena Ciudad de Mexico on Sept. 21 and it will be headlined by a featherweight bout between Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens. The main card airs live on the ESPN+ streaming service.