Former WEC featherweight challenger Manny ‘The Pitbull’ Gamburyan (12-7) has been forced out of a second Ultimate Fighting Championship event this year do to injury.
Stepping in for the injured fighter will be Nik ‘The Carney’ Lentz (23-5-2, 1NC) who now faces Gamburyan’s original opponent Hacran ‘Barnabe’ Dias (21-1-1) at the upcoming UFC on FX 8 event.
News of the change was first announced by UFC Brazil officials on Twitter (@ufc_brasil) this afternoon.
– Lesionado, Gamburyan está fora do #UFCnoCombate2 em Jaraguá. Nik Lentz entra na vaga e enfrenta Hacran Dias.
UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold (aka UFC on FX 8) is expected to take place on May 18, 2013 at the Arena Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil.
Gamburyan had been scheduled to fight last month at UFC 157 versus Chad Mendes but was forced out with a thumb injury.
Lentz was in action this past January, picking up a decision win over Diego Nunes at the UFC on FX 7 show in Brazil. The win was his second straight competing at featherweight after debuting at 145-lbs at UFC 150, picking up a first round TKO win over Eji Mitsuoka.
Dias debuted in the Octagon last June by defeating fellow countryman Yuri Alcantara at UFC 147 in Brazil. The victory was the eight straight win for Dias. He was to have squared off with Chad Mendes last December at UFC on FX 6 but was forced out with a shoulder injury.