HOUSTON -- UFC 247 has a new participant -- just about 24 hours before the fights will commence Saturday at Toyota Center.
James Krause agreed to fight Trevin Giles on the card on just a day's notice, he told ESPN on Friday. Antonio Arroyo, Giles' initial opponent, had issues with cramping after weigh-ins Friday morning and was pulled by UFC doctors, UFC president Dana White said at a news conference.
Giles agreed to the bout, which became official once his medical exams were approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TLDR), clearing him for competition.
Krause weighed in successfully at 183.5 pounds Friday afternoon at Toyota Center. Krause usually fights at lightweight and welterweight, and told ESPN prior to the weigh-in that he was on weight for the middleweight bout.
It was important for the UFC to keep Giles on the UFC 247 card. He is a police officer in Houston, and White said at the news conference he knows many people in the city were looking forward to seeing Giles fight Saturday. White called Krause "a stud" for stepping up on ultra-short notice at a higher weight class. Krause already was in Houston this week to corner for his teammate Youssef Zalal.
"Everyone says they're a gangster until it comes time to make gangster moves," Krause wrote on Instagram.
Krause (27-7) has won six straight, including the past two by KO/TKO. The Missouri native last fought at welterweight, beating Sergio Moraes by third-round knockout at UFC Sao Paulo last November. Krause, 33, is also a highly regarded MMA coach. He owns Glory MMA & Fitness in Lee's Summit, Missouri, and trains the likes of Megan Anderson and prospect Grant Dawson.
Giles (11-2) has lost two in a row after taking the entirety of 2018 off to become a police officer. Giles, 27, is an all-action fighter, having never gone to decision in his six-year career.