Donald Cerrone vs John Makdessi fight set for UFC 187 with Khabib Nurmagomedov hurt

One man's loss is another's gain.

Less than 24 hours after Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced to withdraw from his much-anticipated Lightweight scrap against Donald Cerrone at UFC 187 because of injury (details), which was set to pop from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) matchmakers have found a willing opponent to fill the void:

John Makdessi.

The promotion announced the fight earlier today (April 30, 2015).

Makdessi is coming off a huge first-round knockout victory over Shane Campbell at UFC 186 last weekend in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The win helped him get back on the winning track after having his previous three-fight win streak snapped by Allen Patrick last year.

With nine bouts under the UFC banner to his credit, it's safe to say his matchup against "Cowboy" will be his toughest test to date.

As for Cerrone, he has reeled off seven impressive wins in a row, which includes victories over Ben Henderson, Eddie Alvarez and Myles Jury. What's even more impressive is that Cerrone nabbed all of those "W's" in the span of 14 months.

Now, Makdessi will look to follow in Donald's footsteps by stepping up on short notice to help his employer in need.

Emphasis on need, as UFC 187 suffered two major blows in the span of two days after Jon Jones was suspended by the promotion and stripped of his title for his involvement in this hit-and-run accident; which obviously meant "Bones" would not defend his title against Anthony Johnson in the main event of the card.

As a result, Daniel Cormier will step in to face "Rumble" for the vacant 205-pound strap.

Lost in the midst of all the unfortunate new is the highly-anticipated co-main event title fight that will see Chris Weidman defend his Middleweight strap against Vitor Belfort.

For all you need to know about the upcoming UFC 187 pay-per-view (PPV) event click here.