Alex White Replaces Injured Erik Koch, Faces Tony Martin at UFC Fight Night 103 in Phoenix

Tony Martin will now have a different foe when he steps into the cage at UFC Fight Night 103.

The American Top Team rep was scheduled to take on Erik Koch when the Ultimate Fighting Championship hits Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix on Jan. 15. However, the Minnesota-born lightweight took to Twitter on Monday to announce that he’d had an opponent switch and would instead face Alex White after Koch pulled out due to injury.

Opponent has changed to Alex White. Koch was forced out with injury. Different fighter but same result. 5 weeks until fight time.

— Tony Martin (@tmartinmma) December 12, 2016

It is the sixth time that Roufusport’s Koch has pulled out of a slated UFC bout. The 28-year-old Iowan has fought just once since May 2014, choking out Shane Campbell in Las Vegas this past May.

Martin held a 1-3 Octagon records headed into his Jan. 30 bout with Brazil’s Felipe Oliveiri, but the American earned a much-needed victory, notching a third-round rear-naked choke win and keeping his UFC run rolling along.

White, 28, is coming off of a sound unanimous decision win over Artem Lobov in February which evened his UFC mark at 2-2, following losses to Lucas Martins and Clay Collard. White made his promotion debut at UFC on Fox 11 in April 2014, knocking out Estevan Payan in 88 seconds.

UFC Fight Night 103 is headlined by a featherweight contest between fast-rising featherweight prospect Yair Rodriguez and MMA legend B.J. Penn in what will be his first bout since returning from a short retirem