Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Ryan Gandra Is Off the UFC 335 Card

A middleweight matchup that had been lined up for the year's final numbered UFC event has fallen apart. Baisangur Susurkaev announced publicly that Ryan Gandra is no longer his opponent for UFC 335, which takes place on Dec. 12. No replacement has been named, and the reason the fight fell through has not been disclosed.

A pairing that never became official

The bout between Susurkaev and Gandra had been reported in early October as a target for the December card, but the promotion never officially announced it. With the event still roughly eight weeks away, there is time for the UFC to find Susurkaev a new opponent, although nothing has been announced so far.

It is the second change to Susurkaev's plans this autumn. The longtime training partner of Khamzat Chimaev had previously been booked against fellow unbeaten prospect Donte Johnson at UFC 334 in New York, but he withdrew from that fight for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Cesar Almeida.

Contrasting styles

Susurkaev is unbeaten at 12-0 and is 25 years old. He stands six-foot-two and has a 79-inch reach, a length advantage over most middleweights. According to his statistics, he lands 4.56 significant strikes per minute at 59 percent accuracy and averages 2.76 takedowns and 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes.

Gandra, nicknamed "Problema," holds an 11-1 record at 31. He is listed at six-foot-one with a 74-inch reach and is a high-volume striker, landing 10.51 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy. He has not attempted a takedown or a submission in his tracked UFC work.

It is unclear whether Gandra will remain on the Dec. 12 card in another matchup, as the announcement only stated that he is no longer facing Susurkaev.