A former "The Ultimate Fighter" king is ready to reclaim his throne.
TUF 8 winner Efrain Escudero has re-signed with the UFC and will fill the vacant spot opposite Jacob Volkmann on the Facebook undercard of UFC 141, according to reports from 5thRound.com. Lightweight veteran T.J. Grant was originally tapped for the contest but had to withdraw due to injuries. The UFC has yet to confirm the switch.
Escudero was slated to duel Jeff Rexroad next week at Houston's Legacy Fighting Championship 9, however he has since removed himself from the event.
Escudero (18-3) first drew the ire of promotion officials by tipping the scales at 159-pounds -- far above the lightweight limit -- at UFC Fight Night 22. The 25-year-old went on to lose to Charles Oliveira via third-round submission the following night, his second loss in three fights, and was promptly released from the roster.
Since then the MMA Lab-product has stayed remarkably active, tallying up a 5-1 record within various promotions including Bellator, Rage in the Cage, and Tachi Palace Fights. He last fought at Bellator 55, submitting Cesar Avila in just two minutes on the night's undercard.
UFC 141 takes place on December 30th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar collides with former Strikeforce, Dream, and K-1 heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in the night's main event.
UFC 141 fight card:
Main card (Pay-per-view):
Heavyweight: Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem
Lightweight: Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone
Welterweight: Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks
Light Heavyweight: Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Featherweight: Nam Phan vs. Jim Hettes
Preliminary card (Spike TV):
Featherweight: Ross Pearson vs. Junior Assuncao
Lightweight: Ramsey Nijem vs. Anthony Njokuani
Preliminary card:
Welterweight: Dong Hyun Kim vs. Sean Pierson
Lightweight: Jacob Volkmann vs. Efrain Escudero
Welterweight: Matt Riddle vs. Luis Ramos
Featherweight: Manvel Gamburyan vs. Diego Nunes