‘TUF 24’ Cast Member Brandon Moreno Steps in to Face Louis Smolka at UFC Fight Night 96

“The Ultimate Fighter 24” cast member Brandon Moreno will replace the injured Sergio Pettis and meet Louis Smolka at UFC Fight Night 96 in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 1.

Fox Sports first reported the new matchup. On Thursday, Pettis trainer Duke Roufus revealed that his fighter had suffered a ”minor injury” and would have to withdraw from the flyweight matchup. UFC Fight Night takes place at the Moda Center and is headlined by a bantamweight showdown between John Lineker and John Dodson.

Moreno’s run on “TUF 24” ended with a submission loss to Alexandre Pantoja. The 22-year-old Tijuana native is 11-3 as a professional. He has won eight straight official bouts and is the World Fighting Federation’s 125-pound champion.

Smolka has won four straight in the promotion, with three of those victories coming inside the distance. Most recently, he earned a second-round TKO win over Ben Nguyen at UFC Fight Night “McDonald vs. Lineker” on July 13.