Rory MacDonald out at UFC 140, replaced by Claude Patrick

Canadian youngster Rory MacDonald’s ascension to greatness has experienced a setback, as the 22-year old welterweight has been forced to pull out of a scheduled fight with Brian Ebersole at UFC 140 due to an undisclosed injury sustained while preparing for the bout. MacDonald, believed to be the future of the division, is 12-1 with eleven finishing performances and is coming off wins over Nate Diaz and Mike Pyle.

Stepping in for MacDonald will be a fellow fighter from North of the Border, Claude Patrick, moving the 14-1 Ontario resident up to the PPV portion of the event from his original spot in an undercard clash with Rich Attonito.

Is MacDonald the Next Big Thing?

News of the change was recently revealed by the UFC.

Patrick has won thirteen straight scraps including three inside the Octagon with his most recent victory coming against Daniel Roberts earlier this year at UFC 129. The 31-year old has submitted nine of the foes he’s felled with a trio of strike-based stoppages to his credit as well.

“I’m honored to be fighting live on the UFC 140 Pay-Per-View and facing a guy in the caliber of Brian Ebersole,” said Patrick in a prepared statement through his team at Authentic Sports Management. “This is a great opportunity and I’m going to put on a show for all the UFC fans out there. My training is going great, I have the best coaches in the business and training with the Blackzilians is exactly what I need to get ready for this fight.”

UFC 140 is set for December 10 in Toronto and will feature a headlining match-up between light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and polished Brazilian Lyoto Machida. Other scheduled scraps include Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Jung, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Tito Ortiz, and Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC