With UFC lightweight, T.J. Grant suffering an injury in training, a former Ultimate Fighter winner has gotten the call to return to the UFC and replace him in a fight against Jacob Volkmann at UFC 141. As announced on UFC.com this afternoon, TUF Season 8 champion, Efrain Escudero, will once against step foot in the Octagon and face Volkmann on December 30th:

TJ Grant has been forced to withdraw from UFC 141 due to an injury, according to UFC president Dana White. Stepping in to replace him will be TUF 8 winner Efrain Escudero, making his return to the UFC against Jacob Volkmann. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the new match.

Escudero was only the second TUF winner to be released by the UFC after a submission loss to Charles Oliveira in late 2010, a bout in which Escudero also came in 4 pounds overweight, which likely contributed to the UFC's decision to release him, since Escudero still had a winning UFC record of 3-2 at the time. Since then, Escudero has stayed active and successful on the regional scene, going 5-1 and most recently, choking out Cesar Avila at Bellator 55 last month. Escudero-Volkmann will likely remain on the preliminary card for UFC 141.

Efrain "Hecho en Mexico" Escudero (18-3)
W Cesar Avila (submission) - Bellator 55
W Mike Rio (unam. decision) - CFA 2
L Fabricio Camoes (unam. decision) - TPF 9

Jacob "Christmas" Volkmann (13-2)
W Danny Castillo (unam. decision) - UFC on Versus 5
W Antonio McKee (split decision) - UFC 125
W Paul Kelly (unam. decision) - UFC on Versus 2

UFC 141 coverage