MacDonald, Hague Fill UFC 113 Voids

Well-traveled Canadian veteran Jason MacDonald will lock horns with John Salter in a preliminary middleweight matchup at UFC 113 “Machida vs. Shogun 2” on May 8 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. MacDonald replaces Nick Catone, who withdrew from the event with a back injury.

MacDonald will ride a three-fight winning streak into his first Octagon appearance in more than a year. The 35-year-old defeated former International Fight League middleweight champion Matt Horwich at the Let’s Get It On MMA premiere on April 23 but has not competed in the UFC since his technical knockout loss to Nate Quarry at UFC 97. Eighteen of MacDonald’s 24 career wins have come by submission.

Salter, an NAIA national wrestling champion at Lindenwood University, succumbed to third-round strikes from the surging Gerald Harris in his promotional debut in January. The 25-year-old Birmingham, Ala., native has yet to go the distance as a professional and owns wins over UFC veteran Roberto Traven and “The Ultimate Fighter” alum Jeremiah Riggs.

Meanwhile, Tim Hague will toe the line against Joey Beltran in a preliminary heavyweight attraction. Hague replaces the unbeaten Chad Corvin, who, according to reports, was not cleared to compete by the Quebec Athletic Commission.

Hague will enter the match on a two-fight losing streak, which resulted in his being pruned from the UFC roster following his controversial majority decision defeat to Chris Tuchscherer in February. The 26-year-old Canadian once held the King of the Cage heavyweight crown.

Beltran, a 5150 Combat League heavyweight champion, made his promotional debut at UFC 109 in February, when, as a late replacement for Mostapha Al-Turk, he stopped Rolles Gracie on second-round strikes. The 28-year-old Oceanside, Calif., native trains at Alliance MMA, alongside Brandon Vera, Phil Davis and current World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. Beltran has posted seven wins in eight fights and holds notable victories against UFC veterans Sherman Pendergarst, Wes Combs and Houston Alexander.

A ballyhooed rematch between light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will headline UFC 113. In addition to the Machida-Rua sequel, the event will feature a pivotal welterweight tilt pitting Josh Koscheck against Paul Daley, a lightweight bout pairing Sam Stout with Jeremy Stephens and a heavyweight matchup between Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 quarter-finalist Matt Mitrione. The show will also mark the return of former middleweight title contender Patrick Cote, as he locks horns with Alan Belcher.