M-1 Challenge veteran Lucio Linhares (13-4) has been tapped to replace Alessio Sakara at Dec. 5 Ultimate Fighter 10 finale, where he will face Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard Rousimar Palhares (9-2).
Linhares most recently appeared on the M-1: Breakthrough card, where he needed only one minute to secure a submission victory over Mikhail Zayats. He’s considered a submission wizard, with half of the victories in his career coming by tapout. The Dec. 5 bout with Palhares will be the fifth bout of 2009 for Linhares.
Palhares last fought in January at UFC 93, where he defeated veteran Jeremy Horn by unanimous decision. He’s considered one of the best submission artists on the entire UFC roster, which means we could be in for a grappling-heavy bout between two of the best in the middleweight division.
