Mike Perry is still fighting at UFC 255, and he has a new opponent.
Perry, who was slated to meet former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, will instead take on Tim Means on Nov. 21 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Monday after an initial report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN.
Lawler was forced out of the fight last week because of an injury, although details were not disclosed.
Perry (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC), 29, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Mickey Gall in June at UFC on ESPN 12. Perry has been entangled in outside-the-cage issues this year, including a troubling altercation in which he punched a man at a restaurant that was caught on video. Additionally, Perry’s ex-wife, Danielle Nicholson, alleged domestic during their marriage in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. The UFC hasn’t responded to multiple requests for comment, although UFC president Dana White stated publicly that he wasn’t entirely aware of the news.
Means (30-12-1 MMA, 10-7 UFC), 36, has alternated wins and losses in his last five fights, going 3-2. In his most recent bout in August at UFC on ESPN+ 32, Means won a unanimous decision against Laureano Staropoli.
With the change, the latest UFC 255 lineup includes:
- Champ Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Alex Perez – for flyweight title
- Champ Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jennifer Maia – for women’s flyweight title
- Jose Aldo vs. Marlon Vera
- Mike Perry vs. Tim Means
- Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval
- Paul Craig vs. Mauricio Rua
- Ariane Lipski vs. Antonina Shevchenko
- Jared Gooden vs. Alan Jouban
- Joaquin Buckley vs. Jordan Wright
- Kyle Daukaus vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
- Orion Cosce vs. Nicolas Dalby