UFC 334 loses top middleweight prospect, Cesar Almeida steps in

UFC 334 has lost undefeated middleweight Baisangur Susurkaev, but a replacement has already been found.

MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin and Mike Heck confirmed with sources with knowledge of the change that Cesar Almeida (7-3) has agreed to step in for Susurkaev to face Donte Johnson (9-0) at the Nov. 14 event at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bout contracts are still to be officially signed.

Ag. Fight was first to report the news.

Susurkaev and Johnson were originally set to meet in a battle of top prospects, with Susurkaev also sporting a perfect record at 12-0. The 25-year-old Susurkaev hit the ground running after earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2025, winning by knockout or submission in his first three outings for the promotion. The reason for Susurkaev’s withdrawal from UFC 334 is not known.

Johnson was also signed off of DWCS in 2025 and has seen similar success, scoring consecutive UFC wins over Eric McConico, Cody Brundage, and Sedriques Dumas. He now faces Almeida, an experienced kickboxer who has seen mixed results in the UFC. Following a spectacular first-round knockout over Abdul Razak Alhassan in his UFC debut, Almeida has lost back-to-back fights, most recently losing by KO to Damian Pinas at UFC 329.

See the updated UFC 334 lineup below.

Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit

Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes

Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui

Uros Medic vs. Kevin Holland

Bilal Hasan vs. Luis Gurule

Drew Dober vs. Chris Duncan

Stephen Thompson vs. Charles Radtke

Donte Johnson vs. Cesar Almeida

Jim Miller vs. Terrance McKinney

Bia Mesquita vs. Macy Chiasson

Adrian Yanez vs. Juan Diaz