UFC fight roundup: Olivier Aubin-Mercier gets new opponent for UFC on FOX 18
UFC on FOX 18 has three new match-ups, and one of them was made after an injury.
Joaquim Silva, slated to face Olivier Aubin-Mercier on Jan. 30, was forced out of the card with an undisclosed injury. With the change, fellow Brazilian Carlos Diego Ferreira will step in and take on the Tristar prospect in Newark, RDS first reported.
Ferreira (11-2), who entered the UFC as a promising lightweight and backed it up with a pair of finishes, has his back against the wall following losses to Beneil Dariush and Dustin Poirier. Aubin-Mercier (7-1), on the other hand, is 3-0 after losing the TUF Nations finale.
The other bouts announced for UFC on FOX 18 feature Iuri Alcantara vs. Jimmie Rivera and Levan Makashvili vs. Damon Jackson.
Alcantara (33-6, 1 NC), winner of four of his last five UFC fights, looks to add another win to his record after a unanimous decision over Leandro Issa in Rio de Janeiro. Rivera (18-1), a TUF 14 alum who hasn’t lost a professional bout since 2008, is 2-0 in the UFC.
Makashvili (10-2) looks to bounce back to the win column following a split decision loss to Hacran Dias in June. Jackson (9-1) also suffered a defeat in his last appearance inside the Octagon, but had the loss overturned after Rony Jason tested positive for diuretics.
UFC on FOX 18 takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, and features a five-round light heavyweight showdown between Anthony Johnson and Ryan Bader in the main event.