Gleison Tibau has injured his should in training, forcing him out of his next schedule lightweight bout against Hermes Franca (18-7) at UFC 90 "Silva vs. Cote" at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on October 25, according to Sherdog.com.
Marcus Aurelio (16-6) has been tapped as the replacement to take on Franca in the "Windy City" on fight night.
Here's a snip from Frana on the opponent switch:
"It doesn’t matter who I fight; it’s a big challenge. It is what it is. We’re both professionals. I think it’s better for me. I know his game really well. I’ve never trained with Gleison before."
Aurelio of course trains in at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., which is very close to Franca's facility -- The Armory -- just north in Jupiter. Both Brazilians are veterans of the sport, having started their professional mixed martial arts careers around the same time in 2001.
Franca dropped a unanimous decision to Frank Edgar at UFC Fight Night 14: "Silva vs. Irvin" back in July. It was his first fight back after serving a 12-month suspension for steroid use.
He is a former number one title contender who reeled of eight straight wins before losing to then UFC Lightweight Champion, Sean Sherk, at UFC 73: "Stacked" in July 2007.
Aurelio will look to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Tyson Griffin at UFC 86: "Jackson vs. Griffin" back in July. The defeat snapped a two-win fight streak inside the Octagon after recovering from a three-fight losing skid.
"Maximus" -- a submission master -- has uncharacteristically dropped four of his last six fights (all to top-level competition. Regardless, a win against Franca is important. And it's not going to be a walk in the park by any stretch.
UFC 90 features several solid match ups, including the 185-pound tilt between UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and Patrick Cote, as well as the huge welterweight showdown between Thiago Alves and Diego Sanchez.
To check out the latest UFC 90 card and fight rumors click here.