A pair of injuries has changed this UFC 143 bout on two separate occasions. However, the UFC has locked it in and now promotional newcomers Stephen Thompson and Dan Stittgen will face off in preliminary card action.

Originally Thompson was brought in to face Justin Edwards when Mike Stumpf was forced out of the bout with injury. Now it’s Edwards who has been force to withdraw and in his place comes Stittgen.

UFC 143 is set to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Super Bowl weekend. Georges St. Pierre was originally scheduled to headline the event against the newest title challenger Nick Diaz, however an injury forced him off the card and Diaz will now face Carlos Condit for the UFC’s interim welterweight title.

Thompson will make his UFC debut on just three weeks-notice. He is a decorated amateur kickboxer who has a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu background under Carlos Machado. He is undefeated on the regional MMA circuit and holds three stoppage victories.

With only one loss on his pro-MMA record and seven victories, Stittgen is set to make his promotional debut in the UFC. With all of his fights coming out of the Midwest regional circuit, the bout with fellow newcomer Thompson is a welcome one.

The UFC 143 now looks as follows:

MAIN CARD: (Pay-per-view)
Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz (for interim welterweight title)
Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum
Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce
Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen
Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks

PRELIMINARY CARD: (FX)
Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier
Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa
Jorge Lopez vs. Matt Riddle
Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper
Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson

Click here for the latest UFC 143 coverage provided by BJPENN.COM

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