John Makdessi steps in to fight Sage Northcutt at UFC 214 after Claudio Puelles pulls out

UFC officials today announced a shuffle to UFC 214’s fight card that will pair Sage Northcutt against veteran John Makdessi in a lightweight bout.

Northcutt (8-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) previously was scheduled to face Claudio Puelles (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the event, which takes place July 29 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The bout order for UFC 214 has not been set, but main card fights air live on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Northcutt is looking to rebound in the UFC at 155 pounds after a second-round submission loss to welterweight Mickey Gall at UFC on FOX 22, which left him with a 3-2 octagon record. The heavily hyped youngster is reportedly joining Team Alpha Male to prepare for fights after stints at Tristar and ATT Evolution.

In Makdessi (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC), Northcutt faces the most experienced octagon competitor of his career. Makdessi has 13 UFC fights on his resume and wins over seasoned foes, including Sam Stout and Daron Cruickshank. Most recently, he’s hit a slide, losing three of four in his most recent appearances.

Despite that skid, a win over Makdessi would be a significant accomplishment. And for Makdessi, who was calling out every possible opponent for a return fight, a bump in stature would do well for his career.

The latest UFC 214 card includes:

• Champ Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones – for light heavyweight title
• Cristiane Justino vs. Megan Anderson – for vacant women’s featherweight title
• Andre Fili vs. TBA
• Jason Knight vs. Ricardo Lamas
• Renan Barao vs. Aljamain Sterling
• Alexandra Albu vs. Kailin Curran
• Josh Burkman vs. Drew Dober
• Dmitrii Smoliakov vs. Adam Wieczorkowski
• Jarred Brooks vs. Eric Shelton
• Jimi Manuwa vs. Volkan Oezdemir
• Sage Northcutt vs. John Makdessi
• Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega
• Sara McMann vs. Ketlen Vieira

For more on UFC 214, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.