RUMOR UFC Vegas 124: Petersen reportedly replaces Hines; Brennan reportedly out vs. Bashi

UFC Vegas 124 has lost two fighters to late changes, and one of them may leave a hole on the card. Thomas Petersen is reportedly stepping in to face Gabriel Lorenço after Alvin Hines withdrew, according to Léo Guimaraes. Separately, @realkevink, citing Danny Podolsky, reports that Lucas Brennan is out of his fight with Austin Bashi after tearing his ACL in the last two weeks of camp. The UFC has not commented on either.

The Petersen replacement is a short-notice booking with some history behind it. He is a 31-year-old American and a former LFA heavyweight champion who earned his UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series in 2023. Across seven UFC fights he has alternated wins and losses, and his latest was a first-round calf slicer loss to Valter Walker in July. If the pattern held, a win would come next.

Lorenço is the unknown quantity. He makes his promotional debut after stopping Charlie Cleveland in a little over two minutes on Dana White's Contender Series to earn his deal. Before that, he stopped six of seven opponents following a loss in his pro debut to Igor Cavalcanti. He faces an experienced opponent on a few weeks' notice, which suits a finisher.

The Brennan news is less settled. It rests on a single report, and no replacement for Bashi has been named. Until the UFC confirms the injury, Bashi's bout is in doubt, and the promotion either has to find him a new opponent or remove the fight.

The card otherwise stands at 14 fights, per MMA Knockout, and the Petersen switch does not change that count. If Brennan's fight falls through, the number could drop to 13. It closes with Gabriel Bonfim vs. Sean Brady at welterweight, with Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez as the co-main. It follows UFC Vegas 123 this weekend, headlined by Renato Moicano vs. Tom Nolan. Watch for an official UFC statement on Brennan and a new opponent for Bashi.