Andre Fili reportedly set to replace Lerone Murphy for UFC Vegas 86 showdown with Dan Ige

UFC featherweight Lerone Murphy has been ruled out of his UFC Vegas 86 bout against Dan Ige.

The undefeated Englishman was set to co-main his first UFC event at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, however, an undisclosed injury has forced him out of the match-up.

Murphy took to X (formerly Twitter) and alluded to his injury, stating that he would not be broken by the bad news. He tweeted:

"You couldn’t walk a yard in my shoes. Most would break, not me though, I’m Unbreakable."

Dan Ige responded to the post and wished a quick recovery for his now former opponent.

"Heal up champ."

In the wake of Murphy's withdrawal, it is now being reported that Andre Fili is being lined up to replace him. 'Touchy' recently picked up a big victory over Lucas Almeida at UFC 296, finishing the Brazilian in the first round.

Reporter Nolan King of MMA Junkie first broke the news on X, writing:

"With Lerone Murphy out, Andre Fili vs. Dan Ige is in the works for Feb. 10 at #UFCVegas86 in Las Vegas, multiple sources say. Fili coming off a big TKO win at UFC 296. Story headed to @MMAJunkie"

The potential new UFC Vegas 86 bout is yet to be confirmed by the MMA promotion, but the match-up is already being touted as a Fight of the Night contender.

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Joe Pyfer breaks down UFC Vegas 86 bout against Jack Hermansson

Rising middleweight contender Joe Pyfer is set for the toughest bout of his career thus far when he takes on Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 86 in February.

The pair will headline the event which takes place on Feb. 10, 2024 at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas. Hermansson is currently ranked No.10 in the 185 pound division, making the fight Pyfer's first test against a top 10 opponent.

Ahead of his bout against 'The Joker' next month, 'Bodybagz' spoke to MiddleEasy and offered his thoughts on the fight. According to Pyfer, even though he likes Hermansson as a person, he still expects to walk through him. He said:

"I don't give a f*ck about his number. He's 35-years-old, he's 10-6 in the UFC, he's a tough guy, I like him. He's a good guy, he's not a piece of sh*t. I don't have any nerves, I just understand that I'm pushing myself and it's full steam ahead. The bigger the opportunity, the bigger the work load...I think that my skills are better than his."

Catch Pyfer's comments here (4:19):