Erik Koch may have lost opponent Josh Grispi at WEC 52, but the promotion has found a replacement in Francisco Rivera.
MMAjunkie.com reported the news earlier today.
Koch, who was originally set to fight now top contender Josh Grispi on the main card, last fought this past June at WEC 49, defeating Bendy Casimir via triangle choke submission. The victory was a successful rebound to the loss that came before it, a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Chad Mendes, which was Koch’s first loss.
The replacement, Rivera, an undefeated featherweight, enters into his debut with the WEC with a perfect 5-0 record. He has fought predominantly in smaller promotions, such as “Call to Arms” and “Called Out MMA”. Rivera has yet to fight anybody notable, but his last fight was an impressive knockout that came just 30 seconds into the opening round.
The featherweight tilt is set for the main card of WEC 52 on November 11 in Las Vegas. The card is headlined by a bantamweight bout between Urijah Faber and Takeya Mizugaki, while Joseph Benavidez takes on Wagnney Fabiano at the 135lbs mark as well. The main card in its entirety will be broadcast live on Versus.