Victory FC 47 Headliner Mutapcic Bolts for the UFC; Neer Steps in as Replacement

Victory Fighting Championship announced Wednesday that the main event to VCF 47 has hit a roadblock, albeit one that was quickly bypassed.

Middleweight contender Elvis Mutapcic was slated to face Anthony Smith for the VFC championship, but Mutapcic was called up to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. With “The King” leaving to compete for the world’s largest MMA promotion, filling in for Mutapcic will be former UFC veteran Josh Neer.

Mutapcic vs. Smith was scheduled to make history as the headliner for the first ever Victory event to be streamed live on UFC’s popular Fight Pass medium. Instead, Mutapcic will be competing in the Octagon on Jan. 17 against Francimar Barroso in Boston.

Neer and Smith will meet for the 185-pound title in what is an intriguing rematch. Neer, who recently dropped two straight bouts under the Bellator MMA banner, scored a sensational third-round submission of Smith two years ago at VFC 41.

Since Smith succumbed to the rear-naked choke, “Lionheart” hasn’t tasted defeat. The Nebraskan has won six consecutive bouts, with his last triumph coming via first-round stoppage due to strikes against UFC and Titan Fighting Championships veteran Brock Jardine at Resurrection Fighting Alliance 30 last September.

Other fights on the bill feature Jarred Mercado taking on Alonzo Martinez in a featherweight bout and Jake Lindsey versus Dakota Cochrane, Cody Carrillo squaring off against Sean Wilson and Yuri Villefort facing Kenneth Glenn, all at lightweight. A bantamweight showdown between Demetrius Wilson and Raufeon Stots is also scheduled.

VFC 47 takes place Jan. 29 at the Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb., and airs on Fight Pass beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.