PRO MMA (promma.info) has learned from multiple sources that Gleison Tibau (16-6) will step in for the injured Efrain Escudero to fight Jeremy Stephens (14-4) at UFC Fight Night 18 on April 1st. Escudero, who won the lightweight division on the latest season of TUF, suffered a rib injury in training and cannot compete.

Tibau comes from the American Top Team and has gone 4-3 in the UFC. In his last fight he submitted Rich Clementi with a guillotine choke at UFC Fight Night 17 on February 7th. While his fight was on the under card, his upcoming opponent, Jeremy Stephens (3-3 in UFC) fought in the main event on the same card. Stephens lost to Joe Lauzon by armbar in the second round.

Since both fighters last fight was on the same card, it doesn’t give either fighter an advantage as far as time off goes. Neither fighter suffered any real damage in their respective fights either. This fight will be on the under card of the event headlined by Carlos Condit (22-4) in his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann (14-2) in a welterweight battle. It will also be the UFC’s first foray into Tennessee as UFC Fight Night 18 takes place at the Sommet Center in Nashville.

By:Dusty Adams

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