The injury bug has struck an upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight contest slated to take place this summer.
Shane Del Rosario, who was expected to face Dave Herman at UFC 162 on July 6, 2013, has been forced off the card due to injury and will be replaced by former divisional title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga.
UFC officials announced news of the switch on Friday (May 31, 2013) evening on Twitter. The nature of Del Rosario's injury was not revealed.
Herman (21-5) is in a do-or-die situation after returning from rehab, a stint that was required by UFC after he failed his UFC 153 drug test for marijuana (details here). In addition to having lost three straight fights inside the Octagon, it was the second time in his ZUFFA career that "Pee Wee" tested positive for the drug.
Gonzaga (14-7) is also in need of a victory after suffering an underwhelming first-round knockout loss to Travis Browne at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale in April.
The defeat snapped a three-fight win-streak for "Napao" and despite claims of illegal blows to the back of his head, the result of the fight stood.
At 34 years old, Gonzaga will need to bounce back with a sharp performance if he hopes to stay employed.
Herman vs. Gonzaga will take place on the preliminary portion of the UFC 162 fight card, which is expected to broadcasted on FX and streamed via Facebook.
UFC 162: "Silva vs. Weidman" is headlined by a middleweight championship contest as top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter and longtime 185-pound kingpin Anderson Silvaputs his title on the line against undefeated "All American" Chris Weidman.
Former lightweight titleholder Frankie Edgar is back at 145 pounds to challenge jiu-jitsu ace Charles Oliveira, while streaking featherweight contender Cub Swanson tries to bang it out with German kickboxer Dennis Siver.
For the latest UFC 162 news and notes check out our complete event archive right here. To check out the latest "Silva vs. Weidman" fight card and rumors click here.