Justin Tafa out; Tanner Boser steps into face Raphael Pessoa at UFC on ESPN 14

Heavyweight Tanner Boser will make a quick turn around following his last win to step into a fight against Raphael Pessoa at UFC on ESPN 14 on July 25 after Justin Tafa was forced off the card.

Multiple sources confirmed the new fight to MMA Fighting on Wednesday with bout agreements already issued. MMA Junkie initially reported the change.

According to additional sources, Tafa suffered an injury that knocked him out of the fight and ultimately Boser stepped up to accept the fight with Pessoa on short notice.

The 28-year-old Canadian is coming off a huge knockout win over former PFL heavyweight season champion Phillipe Lins on June 27.

Now he’ll return to action four weeks later with a trip to UFC Fight Island to face Pessoa on short notice.

Pessoa enters the fight off his first win in the UFC after earning a unanimous decision over Jeff Hughes this past October.

The July 25 card on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi will be headlined by a middleweight showdown between former champion Robert Whittaker and Darren Till.