Muhammadjon Naimov Steps In for Kutateladze, Meets Mullarkey at UFC on ESPN 46

Muhammadjon Naimov will make his Octagon debut on less than a week’s notice.

The former Dana White’s Contender Series competitor will replace Guram Kutateladze and meet Jamie Mullarkey in a featherweight bout at UFC on ESPN 46. MMA Mania was first to report the new booking. Visa issues reportedly forced Kutatelade to withdraw from the bout. UFC on ESPN 46 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a flyweight tilt pitting Kai Kara France against Amir Albazi.

Naimov will enter the matchup with Mullarkey on a three-bout winning streak. He appeared on the Contender Series in September 2020, losing a unanimous decision to Collin Anglin. “Hillman” is 8-2 as a professional, which includes a 5-1 mark within the Titan FC organization.

Mullarkey has been victorious in four of his last five UFC appearances. Most recently, the 28-year-old Australian outpointed Francisco Prado at UFC 284 on Feb. 11.