TJ Dillashaw
Another Canadian fighter has been forced off next months UFC 158 pay-per-view card due to injury, as Saskatchewan born fighter Mitch Gagnon (9-2) has withdrawn from his fight with Japanese fighter Issei Tamura (7-3) according to the Canadian Press.
Stepping in for Gagnon will be former TUF 14 finalist ‘The Viper’ T.J. Dillashaw (6-1).
UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz is expected to take place on March 16, 2013 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The bout between Tamura and Dillashaw is expected to appear on the Facebook streamed prelim card.
Dillashaw is 2-1 since debuting in the Octagon at the TUF 14 Finale where he lost to the shows winner John Dodson via first round TKO. Following that defeat, ‘The Viper’ picked up a decision win against Walel Watson at UFC on FUEL TV 1 and a first round submission against Vaughan Lee at UFC on FUEL TV 4. He had been expected to face Mike Easton at UFC on FOX 5 but was forced out with an injury.
Tamura is 1-1 so far in the UFC making his last appearance in the Octagon this past July in his bantamweight debut. At the UFC on FUEL TV 4 event, Tamura would go on to lose by second round TKO to Raphael Assuncao. The Japanese fighter would make his debut earlier in the year at home as part of UFC 144, picking up a second round knockout victory against Chinese fighter Zhang Tiequan.