UFC has found a replacement for Jake Ellenberger for the promotion’s debut in Singapore.
With Ellenberger out due to injury, the UFC has decided to move Hyun Gyu Lim to the main event against Tarec Saffiedine on Jan. 4. With the change, Kiichi Kunimoto, Lim’s original opponent on the same card, now takes on Luiz Dutra Junior. Tatame and MMA Informativo first reported the news.
Unbeaten inside the Octagon, Lim (12-3-1) has looked impressive inside the cage. A former Pacific Xtreme Combat welterweight champion, “The Ace” stopped Pascal Krauss and Marcelo Guimaraes with knees and punches in his UFC bouts earlier this year.
Saffiedine (14-3) hasn’t fought much lately. In his last bout in January, “Sponge” dominated Nate Marquardt to win the Strikeforce welterweight title. Prior to the win, the striker scored victories over Roger Bowling, Tyler Stinson and Scott Smith.
Kunimoto (15-5-2, 1 no-contest) and Dutra (11-2-1), who also meet at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, making their promotional debuts. Both welterweights enter the cage riding a four-fight win streak with three finishes, while Dutra has won another pair of exhibition wins during TUF: Brazil 2 before hurting his hand and being forced to leave the show.
UFC Fight Night 34 card is the following:
Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Hacran Dias
Luiz Dutra Jr. vs. Kiichi Kunimoto
Kyung-Ho Kang vs. Shunichi Shimizu
Katsunori Kikuno vs. Quinn Mulhern
Dustin Kimura vs. Jon Delos Reyes
Mairbek Taisumov vs. Tae Hyun Bang
Max Holloway vs. Will Chope
Royston Wee vs. Dave Galera