Last week, news broke that former Tachi Palace Fights champion Cole Escovedo reached his goal and received a shot in the UFC. Now, TPF Events Coordinator Jeremy Luchau has announced that Farkhad Sharipov will take his place against Tommy Vargas at TPF 9.
“Last minute replacements are always tough, and once again we are lucky to be able to pull off such a talented replacement,” Luchau said. “We wish Cole nothing but the best in his UFC future.”
The card takes place on May 6 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif. The card will stream live on Sherdog.com.
Sharipov competed extensively in freestyle wrestling before transitioning to MMA highlighted by a Kyrgyzstani national championship. Since making his professional MMA debut in 2007, Sharipov has built a 12-3 record. He is currently riding a five-fight winning streak with a win over UFC veteran Alex Caceres.
Vargas wrestled as a collegiate for both Northwestern and Cal-State Bakersfield. He currently holds an 8-1 record in MMA. In his last fight, he made his TPF debut and took a decision over Martin Sandoval.
Headlining Tachi Palace Fights 9 is a flyweight fight between Ian McCall and Dustin Ortiz. McCall entered the top-ten rankings with a stunning victory over Jussier da Silva at TPF 8.