Uriah Hall has a new opponent for the UFC’s big card in Boston.
Louis Taylor will step in for the injured Costas Philippou to face Hall at UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver on Jan. 18, a source told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.
Taylor (11-3) has won four straight fights on the independent circuit, most recently submitting former Bellator fighter Brian Houston in October at AFPC 17 in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Taylor, a former Eastern Illinois college wrestler, has competed for both Strikeforce and Bellator. This will be the 35-year-old Chicago native’s UFC debut.
Hall (9-4) remains one of the most promising middleweights in the UFC. He gained quick notoriety with a series of devastating knockouts on The Ultimate Fighter 17 and has two straight wins in the UFC over Thiago Santos and Chris Leben. The Jamaica native is close to cracking the UFC’s official 185-pound rankings.
Hall, 30, was supposed to meet Philippou in a rematch of a 2011 bout the two New York-based fighters had in the Ring of Combat organization. But it was confirmed Thursday that Philippou had a rib injury and would be unable to compete.
UFC Fight Night 59 will be headlined by a featherweight contender scrap between Conor McGregor and Dennis Siver. Benson Henderson takes on Eddie Alvarez in the co-main event. The main card will air live on FOX Sports 1.