UFC workhorse Chris Lytle has been forced to withdraw from his 170-pound showdown against Carlos Condit at UFC Fight Night 19 from the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Sept. 16, after suffering a severe injury to his knee.
MMAmania.com confirmed the news with a source close to Lytle earlier today.
"Lights Out" was coming off a unanimous decision win over Kevin Burns at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 9 finale this past June in a stand-up war that saw Lytle earn his third "Fight of the Night" bonus in as many attempts.
With an anticipated return date of no earlier than 2010, this will mark the first time in his ten year career that the rugged striker did not fight at least three times per year.
The UFC is currently searching for an opponent for Condit, who will be making his sophomore effort inside the Octagon after a razor-thin split decision loss to Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 18 back in April.
UFC Fight Night 19 will serve as the lead-in for the upcoming tenth season of TUF, which features Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and a solid collection of 15 other heavyweight fighters competing in a tournament-style format to earn one "six-figure contract."
The main event of the evening will see TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz get a chance to break out of an 0-2 slump when he tangles with Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard. Lightweight studs Roger "El Matador" Huerta and Gray "The Bully" Maynard are also expected to hook 'em up.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on Lytle's replacement as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, be sure to check out the latest UFC Fight Night 19 fight card and rumors here.