UFC light-heavyweight brawler Houston Alexander has broken his hand, forcing him out of his UFC 98 matchup with Andre Gusmao.
The news was first reported on the UFC's Twitter page.
The 37-year-old Alexander made a major first impression on UFC fans, knocking out Keith Jardine as a major underdog in his May 2007 debut, then following it up with another highlight-reel KO over Alessio Sakara.
Since then, however, Alexander has lost his last three bouts in the octagon, and hasn't been in the cage since a September submission loss to Eric Schafer. He remains a crowd favorite, though, for his willingness to trade as well as his fan-friendly disposition.
The UFC expects to name a replacement shortly.
Gusmao (5-1) suffered his first loss in August, dropping a decision to highly regarded, 21-year-old Jon Jones.