After losing Mike Pierce (17-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) to a broken hand, Demian Maia (18-6 MMA, 12-6 UFC) apparently has a new opponent for May’s UFC Fight Night 42 event.

Newcomer Alexander Yakovlev (21-4-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who originally was slated to fight Yan Cabral (11-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 40, has stepped in as a replacement. He and his management team today announced the switch via social media.

UFC officials haven’t made a formal announcement, and it’s not clear who will replace Yakovlev at UFC Fight Night 40.

UFC Fight Night 42, meanwhile, takes place May 31 at Sao Paulo’s Ibirapuera Gymnasium. Broadcast/streaming plans haven’t been announced for the card, which also serves as the live finale for “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3.”

MMAjunkie first passed along news of Pierce’s injury on Monday.

Maia returns to the cage after a disappointing loss to Rory MacDonald in February at UFC 170, which brought his welterweight record to 3-2 after dropping from the middleweight class in 2012. The 36-year-old Brazilian has dropped two straight since opening his 170-pound run with three consecutive wins.

Yakovlev, meanwhile, signed with the UFC following a November upset of big-show vet Paul Daley. It marked the 29-year-old M-1 vet’s third straight win. In fact, the Russian and former MMAjunkie “Fight Path” subject is a solid 8-1-1 (with five stoppages) since early 2009.

The latest UFC Fight Night 42 card includes:

Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic

Paulo Thiago vs. Gasan Umalatov

Demian Maia vs. Alexander Yakovlev

Rodrigo Damm vs. Rashid Magomedov

Mark Eddiva vs. Kevin Souza

Ernest Chavez vs. Elias Silverio

For more on UFC Fight Night 42, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Demian Maia)