Gastelum gets new UFC 273 foe, Oleinik-Vanderaa reportedly set with Latifi out

Kelvin Gastelum has a new opponent for UFC 273.

Rising middleweight Dricus Du Plessis has stepped in on less than two weeks' notice to face Gastelum at the April 9 event in Jacksonville after Nassourdine Imavov withdrew due to visa issues, the UFC announced.

Du Plessis was scheduled to meet Anthony Hernandez at the same event. Hernandez will now take on UFC newcomer Josh Fremd.

Gastelum and Imavov were slated to open up the UFC 273 main card. It's unclear whether the new matchup between Gastelum and Du Plessis will remain in that position.

Meanwhile, the rebooked heavyweight fight between Aleksei Oleinik and Ilir Latifi is once again off. Latifi is out of the bout, and Oleinik will instead face Jared Vanderaa, according to Eurosport's Marcel Dorff.

Oleinik and Latifi would've originally met at UFC Columbus on March 26, but Latifi withdrew from the bout with a non-COVID-19 illness shortly before the event began.

Alexander Volkanovski will headline UFC 273, defending his featherweight championship against Chan Sung Jung. Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan will unify the bantamweight title in the co-headliner.