With Khalil Rountree out, Carlos Ulberg steps in to face Jamahal Hill at UFC 303

Carlos Ulberg will get a massive opportunity at UFC 303.

Khalil Rountree announced that he has withdrawn from his June 29 co-main event vs. Jamahal Hill at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas due to a failed drug test. Stepping in to face the former UFC light heavyweight champion will be City Kickboxing’s Ulberg.

Two people with knowledge of the booking recently confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. The news was reported Thursday by the New Zealand Herald.

Rountree’s girlfriend, Mia Kang, revealed that the suspension will be for Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a hormone that is banned in and out of competition. The UFC has yet to officially announce Rountree’s withdrawal or Hill’s new opponent.

Since dropping his UFC debut, Ulberg (9-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has been on a role having won six straight. He’s coming off a 12-second, Performance of the Night knockout of Alonzo Menifield at UFC on ESPN 56 earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Hill (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) will look to rebound from his title loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 300 in April. After over a year away from competition due to a ruptured achilles tendon, Hill attempted to reclaim the light heavyweight title he vacated, but was knocked out in Round 1 by Pereira.

With the change, the UFC 303 lineup now includes:

• Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
• Jamahal Hill vs. Carlos Ulberg
• Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson
• Andre Fili vs. Cub Swanson
• Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Joe Pyfer
• Gillian Robertson vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
• Carlos Hernandez vs. Rei Tsuruya
• Yanis Ghemmouri vs. Payton Talbott
• Andrei Arlovski vs. Martin Buday
• Vinicius Oliveira vs. Ricky Simon
• Charles Jourdain vs. Jean Silva

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.