A pair of injuries have resulted in two Canadians getting new opponents one week before the TUF Nations Finale.
Lightweight Mark Bocek of Toronto is set to welcome Mike De La Torre to the UFC after Evan Dunham was forced to withdraw from the event with an injury.
De La Torre (12-3) most recently fought at Dakota FC 17 on Jan. 11 where he submitted Cameron Ramberg with a reverse triangle choke. All three of his losses have been by submission, which could mean trouble against Bocek, one of the top Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners in the 155-pound division. Bocek (11-5) hasn’t fought since a unanimous decision loss to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 154 in Montreal in November 2012.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch the live TUF Nations Finale Wednesday, April 16 on Sportsnet 360
Women’s bantamweight star Sarah Kaufman of Victoria, B.C., is now set to face Leslie Smith, her third scheduled opponent for the April 16 event that takes place at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City.
Kaufman (16-2, 1 NC) was originally slated to meet Shayna Baszler, but she pulled out with an injury. Then, Amanda Nunes took her place on short notice but she also had to withdraw injured.
Smith (6-4-1) has competed in the all-female MMA promotion Invicta FC in her last six bouts. Her last two outings have been in the flyweight division, but she’ll be moving back up a weight class to face Kaufman. Smith is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Invicta’s 125-pound champ Barb Honchak in December.
The fight is a rematch of a memorable 2013 tilt. The two met last April at Invicta FC 5. Kaufman won their first meeting by split decision and the bout was named Fight of the Night. Watch it in its entirety below.