Sources: Woodburn to replace Gore vs. Nickal

Val Woodburn will replace Tresean Gore in Saturday’s middleweight bout against Bo Nickal at UFC 290, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Gore announced Tuesday on Instagram that he was out of the fight because of a wrist injury, writing that he might need surgery on the scaphoid bone of his wrist.

Nickal (4-0), one of the top up-and-coming stars in the UFC, is undefeated and has finished every opponent in the first round. The Colorado native made his UFC debut in March at UFC 285, beating Jamie Pickett via first-round submission. Nickal, 27, is a three-time former NCAA Division I wrestling national champion out of Penn State.

Woodburn (7-0) is the former Combat Night MMA middleweight champion. The 29-year-old fighting out of Florida debuted as a pro in 2020 and was initially scheduled to fight on Dana White’s Contender Series next month.

Woodburn being tabbed for the bout was first reported by Eurosport NL.