UFC 334 Loses Sadykhov-Nascimento; Alatengheili Steps In for Yanez

UFC 334 is down one fight and has a new bantamweight matchup four days before the card lands at Madison Square Garden.

The UFC confirmed Tuesday that Alatengheili will replace the injured Adrian Yanez against Juan Diaz. The promotion also removed the lightweight fight between Nazim Sadykhov and Jefferson Nascimento after both men dealt with injuries.

The changes leave the November 14 event with 13 fights. Ciryl Gane defends the heavyweight title against Josh Hokit in the main event, while Kayla Harrison meets Amanda Nunes for the women's bantamweight championship in the co-headliner.

Alatengheili keeps Juan Diaz on the card

Diaz did not lose his place at Madison Square Garden when Yanez withdrew. Instead, he gets a veteran replacement in Alatengheili, also listed as Heili Alateng, on short notice.

MMA Junkie reported the replacement matchup on November 6 after both fighters confirmed it on social media. Tuesday's UFC announcement makes the switch official on the event lineup.

Diaz enters at 16-1-1 with nine straight victories. He earned his UFC contract with a spinning back elbow knockout of Kwon Won Il on Dana White's Contender Series in October 2025, then submitted Malcolm Wellmaker with a rear-naked choke in his UFC debut in May.

Alatengheili brings far more Octagon experience. The 34-year-old is 18-10-2 overall and 6-3-1 in the UFC, according to MMA Junkie. He last fought in September, beating John Castaneda by decision.

That makes this a different test for Diaz than the Yanez fight would have been. Yanez is a high-output finisher who tends to force exchanges. Alatengheili is more patient and has already spent 10 fights learning how to manage UFC rounds. Diaz still gets his Madison Square Garden opportunity, but he now has to solve a replacement who has had years to settle into the promotion.

Sadykhov-Nascimento is cancelled

The lightweight bout could not be saved. Nascimento withdrew first, and Sadykhov later told the UFC not to find another opponent because he was carrying an injury of his own.

Sherdog reported that Sadykhov had been managing the injury for more than five weeks. He initially planned to fight through it, but changed course after Nascimento pulled out. Sadykhov said on Instagram that he does not expect to need surgery or a long recovery.

Both lightweights were trying to stop recent slides. Sadykhov is 11-3-1 after back-to-back technical knockout losses. Nascimento is 13-1 and was stopped in his UFC debut in June. Their matchup will need a new date if the promotion chooses to keep it together.

What remains at UFC 334

The two title fights at the top of the card are untouched. Gane's heavyweight defense against Hokit remains the main event, with Harrison-Nunes directly beneath it. The UFC has also kept Stephen Thompson's announced final MMA fight against Charles Radtke on the preliminary card. FightPulse has more on Gane's response to criticism before UFC 334 and Thompson's retirement decision.

Alatengheili-Diaz is listed on the early prelims. The early prelims begin at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the prelims at 7 p.m. and the main card at 9 p.m. on Paramount+.