Canadian lightweight Sam Stout has a new opponent for UFC 161 in Winnipeg.
Isaac Vallie-Flagg pulled out of the June 15 event after suffering a back injury, according to Sherdog.com, and he was replaced by newcomer James Krause, the organization confirmed.
Stout (20-8-1) is coming off a split-decision win over Caros Fodor at UFC 157 in February and had been training with the likes of Jesse Ronson, Jesse Gross, Chad Laprise, Malcolm Gordon and Chris Horodecki at his gym, the Adrenaline Training Center in London, in preparation for the Vallie-Flagg bout.
Stout, who has competed 15 times in the UFC since 2006, told UFC Central Radio earlier this month that he was looking forward to a bout with Vallie-Flagg and said he felt his Octagon experience would be an advantage over his opponent, who has fought just once in the UFC.
He will have an even bigger edge against Vallie-Flagg’s replacement. Krause (19-4) has fought twice under the Zuffa banner, losing back-to-back contests in the WEC in 2009, but UFC 161 will be his Octagon debut.
The injury news comes a week after the scheduled UFC 161 main event was cancelled after a foot injury forced Renan Barao off the card. Barao was scheduled to defend his interim bantamweight title against former WEC champion Eddie Wineland.
A co-main event bout between light-heavyweight stars Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson was bumped up to serve as the main event.
