UFC featherweight Renato Moicano will serve as a backup to the main event at UFC 231 next weekend in Toronto, the promotion announced Wednesday.
Moicano (13-1-1), of Brazil, was supposed to fight Mirsad Bektic at UFC 231, however Bektic withdrew due to injury. Rather than pull Moicano off the card, the UFC has asked him to be present in Toronto in the event something happens to featherweight champion Max Holloway or challenger Brian Ortega.
The UFC has made a habit of booking replacement options for main events in 2018. Occasionally, headliners fall out at the last minute due to injury or weight cutting complications.
Holloway (19-3) has been prone to pulling out of fights this year. He was forced to withdraw from a short notice lightweight title bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov in April due to weight cutting issues. In July, he was forced out of a title defense against Ortega by "concussion-like symptoms" during fight week.
Moicano is 5-1 in the UFC. His only loss came against Ortega (14-0), at UFC 214 in July 2017.
UFC 231 will take place on Dec. 8 at Scotiabank Arena. A female flyweight title fight between Valentina Shevchenko (15-3) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (15-2) will serve as the co-main event.
