INJURY UFC Vegas 124: Walker vs. Cortes-Acosta headlines after Brady's staph infection

The UFC rebuilt its Nov. 7 card in under 24 hours, swapping a welterweight main event for a heavyweight one. Johnny Walker and Waldo Cortes-Acosta now headline at the Meta Apex, with Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba still the co-main event.

The booking was first reported by Laerte Viana and backed by MMA Fighting and other outlets. Walker confirmed it on Instagram and said his camp has started. Heavy on UFC and Pos-Luta describe it as a five-round fight, but other outlets say the round count is unclear and the UFC has not announced it.

The gap opened when Sean Brady pulled out. He said on his channel that his knee swelled after a Tuesday workout and by nine that night he could not walk. He knew it was an infection, not the bursitis he had dealt with before. He spent three days in hospital before tests showed staph, and he says fluid was drained from the knee repeatedly. Brady, 33, had hoped to move to the Dec. 12 card, but the UFC told him it is full.

Gabriel Bonfim, 29, is the other casualty. No short-notice welterweight was found for him, and he is expected to be rebooked later. In a social media post reported by MMA Junkie, he said it is hard to believe Brady told his team of an injury a week out, but that he expects news soon and still wants the title.

Walker, 34, is coming off a first-round knee knockout of Mick Parkin in his heavyweight debut at UFC 332, after a split-decision loss to Dominick Reyes at light heavyweight. A night before the booking he posted "Give me a fight @ufc." He is ranked No. 12 in the Meta rankings.

Cortes-Acosta, 35, has more to lose. He is on the first two-fight skid of his career, with decision losses to Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes, after finishing Ante Delija, Shamil Gaziev and Derrick Lewis. He is ranked No. 8 in the Meta rankings. A win would put Walker in the heavyweight top eight, by Heavy on UFC's count.

Watch for the UFC's official announcement and round count, and for Bonfim's next booking.