Leonardo Mafra replaces John Howard at UFC Fight Night 45

With John Howard (22-9 MMA, 6-4 UFC) injured, welterweight Rick Story (16-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) has a new opponent for next month’s UFC Fight Night 45 event.

Leonardo Mafra (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) a semifinalist on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” returns to the organization for the fill-in duties, UFC officials announced.

UFC Fight Night 45 takes place July 16 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. The bulk of the card is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Mafra vs. Story is likely to be part of the televised portion of the card.

After his runner on “TUF: Brazil,” Mafra suffered a TKO loss to Thiago de Oliveira Perpetuo at UFC 147, and the organization released him. However, the 25-year-old, who made his pro debut when he was 17, regrouped on the Brazil’s regional circuit and has since posted five straight wins, all via knockout, against a mix of vets and newcomers.

Story, meanwhile, fights for the 16th time under the UFC banner. The 29-year-old Brave Legion fighter quickly ascended the UFC’s 170-pound ranks after winning six straight fights from 2009-2011, besting the likes of current champion Johny Hendricks and veteran Thiago Alves. However, he’s dealt with inconsistency since then. He was hoping to claim his third win in four fights at UFC 171 but ultimately suffered a split-decision loss to Kelvin Gastelum in a competitive bout.

The latest UFC Fight Night 45 card now includes:

• Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller
• John Lineker vs. Alptekin Ozkilic
• Leonardo Mafra vs. Rick Story
• Pat Healy vs. Gleison Tibau
• Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
• Jim Alers vs. Lucas Martins
• Aljamain Sterling vs. Hugo Viana
• Joe Proctor vs. Justin Salas
• Jessamyn Duke vs. Leslie Smith
• Claudia Gadelha vs. Tina Lahdemaki

For more on UFC Fight Night 45, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.