The ever-revolving UFC 137 door continues spinning, and the latest turn has produced a new fight on the pay-per-view main card.
UFC newcomer Clifford Starks (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has replaced injured Brad Tavares (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), and his fight with Dustin Jacoby (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been demoted from the main card to the prelims.
As a result, a prelim bout between bantamweights Jeff Curran (33-13-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Scott Jorgensen (12-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has been promoted to the main card.
UFC officials today announced the change, which comes just a few days after Tavares vs. Jacoby had been promoted to the main card. The slot opened with the recent cancellation of a headliner between welterweight titleholder Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit due to the champ's knee injury.
The nature of Tavares' injury wasn't disclosed.
UFC 137 takes place Oct. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. With St-Pierre vs. Condit scratched, Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn was named the new headliner, and Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo was promoted to co-main-event status.
Two prelims air on Spike TV as a "UFC Prelims" special, though Starks vs. Jacoby will be part of the night's Facebook stream that kicks off the event.
Starks, an Arizona-based fighter and Rage in the Cage vet, made his pro debut two years had earned seven straight victories, four via stoppage. Most recently, he scored a unanimous-decision victory over Artenas Young in the headliner of Shark Fights 20 on Oct. 15 just six days ago. He'll have just two weeks between fights.
The latest UFC 137 card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn
Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson
Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop
Jeff Curran vs. Scott Jorgensen
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver
Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Eliot Marshall vs. Brandon Vera
Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem
Chris Camozzi vs. Francis Carmont
Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks
Source: Jorgensen-Curran promoted to UFC 137 main card, Jacoby-Starks to prelims
