Jason MacDonald, right, defeated Joe Doersken at the UFC's first ever event in Montreal in April 2008.

BY JAMES BRYDON
sportsnet.ca

Jason (The Athlete) MacDonald has signed a contract to replace David Loiseau and take on John Salter at UFC 113 in Montreal, the fighter told sportsnet.ca.

The middleweight from Red Deer, Alta., verbally agreed on Monday night to the May 8 fight at the Bell Centre after it was learned that Loiseau was unable to obtain a fight licence, though MacDonald was yet to officially sign at the time.

Loiseau, himself a late replacement for an injured Nick Catone, was still hoping to resolve an issue which prevented the Montreal fighter from being licensed by the Quebec Athletic Commission, but it appears the UFC moved on to find an alternative.

MacDonald, a former UFC contender, has won three straight fights in Canadian promotions, defeating Solomon Hutcherson at MFC 23 in Edmonton in December, Vernon White at W-1: Bad Blood in Montreal in March and Matt Horwich at the debut show of Let's Get It On! MMA last Friday just outside Edmonton. This will be the third fight in seven weeks for the New Glasgow, N.S., native.

MacDonald (24-13, 5-5 in the UFC) went 3-1 since being cut by the UFC following a first-round TKO loss to Nate Quarry at the previous event at Bell Centre last April. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt dropped a decision to fellow UFC veteran Travis Lutter at MFC 22 in October.

MacDonald defeated Winnipeg's Joe Doersken, who was also a late addition to UFC 113 and will take on Tom Lawlor, at the UFC's first ever event in Montreal in April 2008.

Salter fell by TKO to Gerald Harris in his Octagon debut at a UFC Fight Night in January.