Doane steps in on 5 days notice to face Bektic at UFC 204

Russell Doane is swooping in to save the day.

It looked like it was going to take a miracle for Mirsad Bektic to get an opponent for UFC 204 this Saturday after his two previous opponents dropped out. Apparently, all the UFC had to do was call up Doane. The 30-year-old bantamweight has agreed to move up from 135 pounds to fight Bektic in a featherweight bout on just five days notice.

The new bout was announced by the UFC on Tuesday.

Bektic was originally scheduled to face Arnold Allen, but Allen bowed out for undisclosed reasons on Sept. 29. Jeremy Kennedy was then booked as a short-notice replacement, only to withdraw with an injury less than 24 hours after signing on for the fight.

Now that Bektic has an opponent, the 25-year-old Bosnian-American can focus on showing why he is one of the brightest prospects at 145 pounds. Bektic sports a 10-0 professional record, including a spotless 3-0 mark in the Octagon.

In his last outing, he defeated Lucas Martins by second-round TKO.

Doane will do his best to play spoiler on fight night. After winning his first two UFC fights, Doane now finds himself on a three-fight losing skid. A win over Bektic would immediately get him back on track and possibly start a fresh path for him in a new division.

UFC 204 takes place on Oct. 8 in Manchester, England. In the main event, middleweight champion Michael Bisping defends his title in a rematch against Dan Henderson.