Francis Marshall Replaces Danny Silva at UFC Vegas 96
Danny Silva withdrew from his scheduled featherweight bout with Dennis Buzukja at UFC Vegas 96 because of an injury. Francis Marshall stepped in on short notice. The bout moved to lightweight—and Marshall won a split decision on Aug. 24, 2024.
A short-notice replacement
The UFC announced the change in the week of the event: Silva was out with an injury, and Marshall accepted the matchup with Buzukja. The promotion’s official update continued to list the contest as a featherweight bout. Official weigh-ins listed Buzukja at 155.5 pounds and Marshall at 156 pounds, confirming the lightweight limit.
Marshall was returning after a loss to Yizha in March, while Buzukja had picked up his first UFC victory over Connor Matthews. Taking the bout on short notice meant Marshall had limited time to prepare for an opponent with recent Octagon experience, but both athletes made the matchup work on the card.
Marshall edges Buzukja
The fighters met on the preliminary portion of UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Marshall earned a split-decision win; two judges scored it 29–28 for him, while the third scored it 29–28 for Buzukja. The close result gave Marshall a timely win after taking the matchup on short notice.
The late replacement added uncertainty to the bout, but the record is straightforward: Marshall replaced Silva, the weight class stayed at featherweight, and Marshall won a competitive decision.
Sources: UFC announcement of the replacement; UFC official preliminary results and scorecards; MMA Fighting on the short-notice change.
Sources
Tags: UFC Fight Night, MMA
