That didn't take long.
Just days after Nate Loughran was forced out an an upcoming Welterweight clash with Erick Silva at UFC Fight Night 36: "Machida vs. Mousasi," which takes place at Arena Jaragua in Santa Catarina, Brazil, on Feb. 15, 2014, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has already filled the void with Takenori Sato.
MMAFighting.com first shared the mixed martial arts (MMA) news earlier this evening, revealing that the promotion had paired one of its most promising 170-pound prospects against the relative unknown welterweight King of Pancrase.
Despite his "Hot Prospect" status, Silva (15-4) has dropped two of his last three matches. The 29-year-old Brazilian was first battered to a pulp in the Jon Fitch grinder and then, most recently, knocked stiff by Dong Hyun Kim at UFC Fight Night 29 in Oct. 2013.
Silva clearly wasn't ready for top-shelf competition and it's unclear what type of challenge his latest Japanese opponent will present on fight night.
Sato has primarily competed in the Pancrase and DEEP promotions throughout his 31-fight professional career. The Tribe Tokyo MMA-trained fighter is currently in the midst of an eight-fight win streak, which includes two draws, dating back to 2010.
His most recognizable opponent to North American fans is most likely Joe Doerksen, who stopped Sato via technical knockout (strikes) at Sengoku: "Tenth Battle" back in Sept. 2009.
UFC Fight Night 36 will be headlined by a Middleweight main event that pits former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida opposite ex-Strikeforce 205-pound titleholder Gegard Mousasi. In the co-main event, Ronaldo Souza will attempt to get one step closer to a division title shot at the expense of Francis Carmont.
To see the current UFC Fight Night 36 fight card and rumors click here. News, notes and other items of interest for "Machida vs. Mousasi" click here.