In the realm of UFC lightweight competition, Thiago Moises was gearing up for a highly anticipated bout against New Zealand’s Brad Riddell. This 155-pound contest was slated to unfold at the UFC Fight Night 239, also known as UFC Vegas 88, set to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, Riddell, who had stepped away from professional MMA following a trio of consecutive losses, encountered another setback when he had to withdraw from his match against Moises in mid-February 2024.
With Riddell out of the picture, the UFC moved swiftly to secure a new opponent for Moises. MMA Fighting reports that Moises, with a professional record of 17 wins and 7 losses, will now square off against Mitch Ramirez, who boasts an 8-1 record, in his UFC debut. This lightweight bout will be part of the UFC Vegas 88 fight card, headlined by a heavyweight clash between Australia’s Tai Tuivasa and Poland’s Marcin Tybura.
Moises, a Brazilian MMA veteran, has had a mixed record in his last five outings in the octagon, with two wins and three losses. His most recent fight ended in a second-round TKO defeat at the hands of Benoit Saint Denis in September 2023. Meanwhile, Ramirez has had a more favorable run, winning four of his last five fights. Despite a setback in August 2023, where he missed out on a UFC contract after a loss to Carlos Prates at Dana White’s Contender Series, Ramirez rebounded with a first-round TKO victory over Eiycaireon Tavarres in December 2023 under the LFA MMA banner. His upcoming fight at UFC Vegas 88 marks his first step into the UFC octagon.
Moises took to social media to comment on Riddell’s withdrawal from their scheduled fight, humorously suggesting that Riddell may have injured his eyelashes, prompting his exit from the bout. Despite this, Moises showed gratitude to UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby and the organization for keeping him on the UFC Vegas 88 card. He expressed his readiness for the event with an enthusiastic tweet: “I got a new dance partner for March 16th. Brad Riddell got his eyelashes hurt and nobody in the roster wanted to step in. Thanks to @seanshelby and the @ufc I’m still in the card. LFG.”
