Charles Johnson to replace injured Nate Maness at UFC Fight Night 235 vs. Azat Maksum

Flyweight Nate Maness is out of his scheduled bout at UFC Fight Night 235.

Maness (15-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was set to meet undefeated Azat Maksum on Feb. 3, but an injury has forced him out of the bout. As a result, Charles Johnson will step up to face Maksum (17-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at the event which takes place at the UFC Apex.

Verbal agreements are in place for the new matchup, with contracts expected to be signed soon. Three people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the change, but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Johnson (13-6 MMA, 2-4 UFC) will look to right the ship early in 2024 after winning one of four bouts in 2023. “InnerG” started off the year with a TKO win over Jimmy Flick, but then lost decisions to Ode Osbourne, Cody Durden and Rafael Estevam.

Maksum made his UFC debut in July, when he picked up a split decision win over Tyson Nam to keep his professional record unblemished.

Maness will have to wait until he is healed from the undisclosed injury before building off of a first-round TKO finish against Mateus Mendonca in October.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 235 lineup includes:

• Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov
• Renato Moicano vs. Drew Dober
• Viviane Araujo vs. Natalia Silva
• Melsik Baghdasaryan vs. William Gomis
• Charlie Radtke vs. Gilbert Urbina
• Luana Carolina vs. Julija Stoliarenko
• Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Makhmud Muradov
• Diana Belbita vs. Molly McCann
• Kiefer Crosbie vs. Themba Gorimbo
• Blake Bilder vs. Jung Gyeong Lee
• Charles Johnson vs. Azat Maksum
• Marquel Mederos vs. Landon Quinones
• Thomas Petersen vs. Jamal Pogues