Ryan Jensen (11-2) will fill-in for an injured Marvin Eastman at UFC 77: "Hostile Territory" on October 20 when he takes on Demian Maia (5-0) in a middleweight prelim bout, according to FightNetwork.com.
The 185-pound debut of "The Beastman" at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, was put on hold because of an eye injury.
This is the second appearance for Jensen inside the Octagon, losing his first fight to Thales Leites via submission (armbar) at UFC 74: "Respect" last month. However, the Team Quest product looked solid before being forced to tap late in round one.
Jensen is up against another talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter in Maia. Something the Steve Jennum student isn't too worried about heading into the bout.
Here's a snip from Jensen:
"If we were doing jiu-jitsu, I'd be worried, but it's MMA. He's really good at what he does, but I'll stay away from that."
Maia — the current Abu Dahbi Combat Club (ADCC) U87Kg Champion — boasts tremendous grappling skills. He has about two years of mixed martial arts experience under his belt and will be making his UFC debut.
The 185-pound title fight between UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and former champ Rich Franklin will headline the "Hostile Territory" event. Undefeated heavyweight sensation Brandon Vera will also make his return that evening, taking on former heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.
For the latest UFC 77 fight card click here.
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