Anna Melisano will step in on short notice to face Dione Barbosa at UFC Oklahoma on July 18, replacing Veronica Hardy at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
Hardy was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a cut in training, opening the door for Melisano to make her UFC opportunity on the Oklahoma card.
UFC Oklahoma is set to be headlined by a five-round middleweight main event between Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman.
Melisano enters with a 6-1 professional record and previously appeared on The Ultimate Fighter 34, where she was Michael Bisping’s first strawweight pick but lost her first bout by first-round submission to Melissa Amaya.
Barbosa has alternated between wins and losses since joining the UFC and has won three of her five fights in the promotion, most recently earning a decision victory over Melissa Gatto in April.
