Johny Hendricks punching Robbie Lawler (photo via UFC / ZUFFA)

By FCF Staff

The headliner for UFC 181 has undergone a significant change, as the promotion has announced that Vitor Belfort will no longer fight middleweight champ Chris Weidman at the December 6th event.

As a result, a bout between welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler has been moved into the card’s main event slot.

According to the official announcement from the UFC, Weidman has been forced to withdraw from the card due to a hand injury. The fight with Belfort will be rescheduled at a later date.

Lawler locked up a rematch with Hendricks at UFC on FOX 12 in July, by decisioning Matt Brown. The championship rematch wasn’t expected to take place until next year, however, as Hendricks has been recovering from bicep surgery.

Hendricks worked his way to a UD win over Lawler at UFC 171 in March to become welterweight champ.

UFC 181 will be hosted by the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and will also feature a lightweight fight between champion Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez.