O'Malley gets new UFC 264 opponent with Smolka out
Sean O'Malley has a new opponent for UFC 264.
The bantamweight prospect will face newcomer Kris Moutinho on July 10 in Las Vegas, Moutinho's manager told ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
O'Malley was originally booked against Louis Smolka, but it was announced Tuesday that Smolka had withdrawn from the main-card opener due to a staph infection.
O'Malley, 26, will look to build on the momentum from his knockout win over Thomas Almeida at UFC 260 in March. The popular bantamweight rebounded from his first professional loss against Marlon Vera last summer and is 3-1 in his past four outings. O'Malley holds a 5-1 record in the UFC since signing in 2017.
Moutinho brings a two-fight winning streak into his UFC debut. The 28-year-old is coming off a submission win over Andrew Salas under the CFFC banner in May. He's fought mostly in CES MMA throughout a professional career that dates back to 2016 and holds a 9-4 pro record.
A lightweight trilogy bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor is slated to headline UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena.