According to a report on Sherdog.com on Wednesday, the injured Justin Edwards will be replaced by Jorge Santiago at UFC on Fuel TV 7. Santiago, who will be making his return to the Octagon, will make the cut to welterweight in order to meet Gunnar Nelson who was left without an opponent following the injury to Edwards.
The event will take place Feb. 16 and is headlined by a clash for the interim bantamweight title between champion Renan Barao and the fast rising Michael McDonald. Also featured on the card, which takes place at Wembley Arena in London, are Cub Swanson and his opponent, Dustin Poirier. That bout figures to weigh heavily in the rankings of the featherweight division. As always, the preliminary bouts will be shown on Facebook, while the main card will of course air on Fuel TV.
Jorge Santiago, a former titlist in Sengoku, has won his previous two fights since he last appeared in the UFC. During that previous run, he lost two consecutive bouts against Brian Stann and Damian Maia. Those losses dropped his record within the UFC to just 1-4. However, he will be given another chance following a couple of first round finishes in the Titan Fighting Championships promotion.
Gunnar Nelson, 24, comes into the fight eight years younger than Jorge Santiago. He is unbeaten so far in his short career and possesses strong jiu-jitsu skills. He made his UFC debut this past September with a submission victory over DaMarques Johnson at UFC on Fuel TV 5. A win for Gunnar Nelson will do a lot to elevate his stock, while a victory for Jorge Santiago will justify his return to the Octagon.
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