Breaking: Bryan Battle steps up to replace Jake Matthews in welterweight matchup at UFC event in May 

Bryan Battle has stepped up and been chosen as the man to replace the injured Jake Matthews for a huge welterweight clash set to commence on May 13.

Initially, the Australian was looking to get back to winning ways following his decision loss to Matthew Semelsberger last time out, but will now be forced to wait. The 28-year-old was matched against four-fight UFC veteran Gabe Green, who too lost in his most recent appearance in the octagon.

As announced on social media, 'Gifted' will now welcome the TUF 29 winner Bryan Battle after his original opponent pulled out, with the clash set to go down a little over six months from now.

After emerging as a talented contender from The Ultimate Fighter, Battle took no time in stamping his authority in the UFC cage as he scored three straight victories in his opening bouts with the promotion, with one coming in the TUF finale.

His most recent win came against the much more experienced Takashi Sato, who was likely his toughest challenge up to that point in the sport. He passed that test with flying colors after landing a sickening head kick knockout and taking home a performance bonus for his troubles.

Battle's lightning-fast start to life in the company hit a speed bump when he fell to a decision loss against Russian monster Rinat Fakhretdinov, who hasn't witnessed defeat in the sport since 2014.

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Revisiting Bryan Battle's triumphant run on The Ultimate Fighter

Coached by Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, TUF 29 was an instant classic and looks to have produced some serious talent who could be UFC regulars for years to come.

Despite being the featherweight champion's final pick, Battle managed to produce the type of performance that earned him a spot on the show as he battled his way to the semi-finals with a decision win over Kemran Lachinov.

Although he was the underdog going in against Ortega's 2nd overall pick Andre Petroski, the now-28-year-old withstood the early pressure and took advantage of his opponent's lack of cardio by earning a submission win in the second round.

Originally, Bryan Battle was booked to face the menacing Tresean Gore in the final, but an injury forced the prospect to pull out. Gilbert Urbina was granted a golden opportunity but was unable to make it count as 'Pooh Bear' once again locked in a submission, making him the TUF 29 winner.