ANTRIM LIGHTWEIGHT NORMAN Parke will now face Gleison Tibau at UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston, after his original opponent Jorge Masvidal was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a back injury.
Tibau, a stable-mate of Masvidal at American Top Team, has stepped in to take on Parke in the main card bout.
The 31-year-old Brazilian has been fighting in the UFC since 2008 and has gone 2-0 in 2014.
A winner of three of his last four fights, Tibau is also vastly experienced and is likely to be the sternest test of Parke’s UFC career to date.
Parke is undefeated in his five fights in the world’s top promotion and last fought at UFC FN 46 in Dublin in July where he earned a second-round TKO of Naoyuki Kotani.
The event, which takes place in TD Garden on 18 January, will also feature Paddy Holohan, Cathal Pendred and Conor McGregor, who fights Denis Siver in the main event.