Todd Brown Replaces Injured Thiago Silva At UFC 117

A back injury has once again plagued Thiago Silva, as the Brazilian slugger has been forced out of his bout against Tim Boetsch at UFC 117. Instead, Boetsch will meet UFC rookie Todd Brown on the evening’s preliminary card.

MMAWeekly.com reported news of the injury earlier today and since has reported the replacement for Boetsch.

The bout was set to serve as Silva’s first since his unanimous decision loss to Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC 108. The injury is a recurring one, as Silva had problems with his back around the time of UFC 108.

In Silva’s place, Brown makes his UFC debut after posting a 11-1 record in smaller organizations such as Michiana Fight League and Ultimate Throwdown. His last fight was a technical knockout victory at “XXX Extreme Fighting: Proving Ground” over Rodney Sleepers last November.

UFC 117 is just under two weeks away and is set for Oakland, California’s Oracle Arena. The event features a middleweight championship between Anderson Silva and top contender Chael Sonnen, along with the long-overdue rematch between Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch.