Ryan Chiappe out, Sean Powers takes on Mehdi Baghdad at MFC 39

There has been yet another switch to Maximum Fighting Championship’s first event of 2014.

Ryan Chiappe (10-8) is out of his fight against Mehdi Baghdad (9-3) on the main card. In Chiappe’s place will step Sean Powers (8-3). Baghdad was an injury replacement for Chase Degenhardt.

MFC officials announced the latest change to the main card on Wednesday. The Baghdad-Powers fight will take place at a catchweight.

“MFC 39: No Remorse” takes place Jan. 17 at Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The main card will air on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET.

Powers, who trains at The Pit Elevated camp in Utah, has seven of his eight career wins by submission, and another by knockout. He won both of his fights in 2013, stopping David Allred at Bellator 90 in February with a third-round rear-naked choke, and stopping Gabe Francis with a first-round knockout in June.

Baghdad, a Team Quest product, will be looking to run his win streak to six fights. In his five-fight run in 2012-2013, he has five stoppages, including a trio of choke victories. He’ll be making his MFC debut against Chiappe in the short-notice fight after Degenhardt fell out.

Chiappe was going after just the third win streak of his career. In 2013, he won his lone fight in August. He was looking to fight for the second time under the MFC banner, where he is 0-1 with a submission loss to Cody Krahn in 2011. Now his next fight for the promotion is delayed.

MFC 39 will have a six-fight main-card lineup. Prelims for the show are expected to be announced soon and will stream live on MFC’s Facebook page.

With the change, the main card for MFC 39 now includes:

• Anthony Hamilton vs. Darrill Schoonover – for heavyweight title
• Tom Gallicchio vs. Kurt Southern – for vacant lightweight title
• Sean O’Connell vs. Victor Valimaki
• Gilbert Smith vs. Jason South
• Mehdi Baghdad vs. Sean Powers – catchweight bout
• Andrew McInnes vs. Dan Ring

For the latest on MFC 39, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.