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A knee injury has forced Philipe Lins out of his scheduled Nov. 7 fight with Don’Tale Mayes, and the UFC has found a replacement for the promotion’s event one week later.
Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that Lins has been officially scratched, and Mayes will now face Roque Martinez at the UFC’s event on Nov. 14. The card is scheduled to take place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
MMA Junkie was first to report the new booking.
A source close to one of the fighters confirmed that Lins hurt his right knee in preparation for his heavyweight matchup. The injury will not require surgery, but there’s no timeframe for Lins’ possible return to action.
Mayes, who competed on Dana White’s Contender Series three times before earning a UFC contract, will look to pick up his first octagon victory. “Kong” took a four-fight winning streak into his promotional debut with Ciryl Gane at UFC Singapore this past October and was submitted in the third round. The 28-year-old was submitted by Rodrigo Nascimento in his sophomore appearance in May at UFC Jacksonville. Mayes has finished five of his seven pro wins.
Martinez also seeks his first UFC win and will re-enter the octagon for the second time in two months. The multi-time RIZIN and DEEP competitor took on Alexander Romanov in his promotional debut and was submitted in the second round at September’s UFC Vegas 10 event.
The UFC has yet to announce a main event for the Nov. 14 fight card.