Vera gets new opponent for Saturday’s UFC 239

It took a while for the UFC to find a new opponent for “Chito,” but the Ecuador native will remain on this weekend’s UFC 239 card.

Marlon Vera will remain on the UFC 239 card after all.

“Chito” is set to meet newcomer Nohelin Hernandez in a bantamweight bout on Saturday at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, UFC officials announced Monday. Vera was originally scheduled to fight Sean O’Malley, whom the Nevada commission pulled from the card due to multiple positive tests for trace amounts of ostarine. O’Malley is not facing a USADA sanction.

Vera has won three in a row, most recently stopping Frankie Saenz by TKO in March at UFC Nashville. The Ecuador native, who trains at Team Oyama in California, holds highlight-reel wins over Brad Pickett and Brian Kelleher.

Hernandez is stepping up on less than one week’s notice for the fight with Vera. Before getting the call to the UFC, he was scheduled to meet former UFC fighter Anthony Birchak in the LFA 72 main event on July 26. LFA has not yet announced a new opponent for Birchak.

Hernandez, 25, is riding a four-fight winning streak.

UFC 239 is expected to be headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between champ Jon Jones and Thiago Santos. Also on the card, women’s bantamweight titleholder Amanda Nunes defends her belt against ex-champion Holly Holm.