Maldonado (photo via UFC.com)

By FCF Staff

With Junior dos Santos out of the TUF Brazil III Finale later this month due to a hand injury, the UFC has announced that Fabio Maldonado has agreed to step in and fight heavyweight Stipe Miocic. The bout will headline the May 31st card, which will go down in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Maldonado (21-6) will be stepping up from the light-heavyweight division, where he has won consecutive bouts over Roger Hollett, Joey Beltran and Gian Villante. The former pro boxer has gone 4-3 to date in the UFC.

Miocic (11-1) is coming off wins over Roy Nelson and Gabriel Gonzaga, after being stopped by Stefan Struve in September, 2012. The rising heavyweight has gone 5-1 in the Octagon thus far.

The TUF Brazil III Finale will also feature the middleweight and light-heavyweight finals for the show’s latest season.