The revolving door for one lightweight matchup at UFC Live 5 spun again Wednesday.
Former World Extreme Cagefighting title challenger Donald Cerrone was announced as a replacement for the injured John Makdessi in late-June, with the “Cowboy” stepping in to meet Paul Taylor on Aug. 14 at Milwaukee’s Bradley Center.
However, UFC officials announced Wednesday that Taylor has also suffered an unspecified injury, leaving Cerrone (Pictured) to face Brazilian up-and-comer Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira.
The news comes just 10 days after Oliveira’s controversial scrap with Nik Lentz at UFC Live 4 in Pittsburgh. Originally ruled a second-round submission win for 21-year-old Oliveira, the bout’s result was overturned days later by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission due to an illegal knee strike from Oliveira to a kneeling Lentz. The ruling left Oliveira winless in his last two outings, his 14-fight unbeaten streak having been snapped in December by a Jim Miller kneebar.
Cerrone, 28, will enter the bout on a four-fight tear. The Greg Jackson student wrapped his WEC career with back-to-back victories over Jamie Varner and Chris Horodecki, then made a successful UFC debut against Paul Kelly in February. Cerrone, who has won six “Fight of the Night” awards under Zuffa employ, was last seen June 11 in a dominant decision win against UFC debutante Vagner Rocha.
UFC Live 5 is expected to be headlined by a welterweight tilt between sluggers Dan Hardy and Chris Lytle, with a co-main event featuring onetime WEC lightweight titlist Ben Henderson against the streaking Jim Miller.
Source: Cerrone Draws ‘Charles do Bronx’ for UFC Live 5 in Milwaukee