MMAmania.com can confirm that Tamdan McCrory will replace an injured Ben Saunders to face the debuting Ryan Madigan who is replacing an injured Dustin Hazelett at UFC 96 'Jackson vs. Jardine' on March 7 from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

In short: Saunders vs. Hazelett is now McCrory vs. Madigan.

McCrory — a 20-something college student at The State University of New York at Cortland (SUNY Cortland) who also moonlights as a full-time fighter — was submitted by Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Dustin Hazelett at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" on November 15.

He is already an Octagon veteran with four fights under his belt.

"The Barncat" defeated Luke Cummo via unanimous decision at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" and tapped Pete Spratt in his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 10 in June 2007.

McCrory could use a big win here to stay relevant in a crowded UFC 170-pound division.

He'll be facing Octagon newcomer Ryan Madigan, who originally replaced Hazelett against Saunders. "The Lion" has five professional fights in the sport that date back to 2006. He is undefeated, finishing all of his opponents early with a nice mix of (technical) knockouts and submissions.

He’ll have his hands full trying to continue that streak against the wily "Barn Cat" when the pair collide in the "Buckeye State" on fight night.

UFC 96 features a three-round light heavyweight tilt between former division champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Keith Jardine. Heavyweight hopeful Shane Carwin is also expected to tangle with former number one contender Gabriel Gonzaga in the co-featured fight of the evening.

To check out the latest UFC 96 fight cards and rumors click here.