The long-anticipated rematch between top ten welterweights Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves has hit a snag.

UFC kingpin Dana White has confirmed via Twitter that the fight, slated for UFC 115 on June 12 in Vancouver, has been pushed back. It will now will take place at UFC 117.

The 26-year-old Alves had a surgical procedure done in March to repair a brain irregularity, and the postponement is for precautionary measures to allow Alves a longer time to heal.

Fitch and Alves first met at UFC Fight Night 5 in June 2006, where Fitch won by second-round TKO. Since then, the both have risen to the top of the welterweight division, and a rematch is overdue.

The rematch was originally slated for at UFC 107 in December 2009, but a torn Posterior Cruciate Ligament forced him out of the bout. The fight was then rescheduled for last month's UFC 111, but the brain irregularity, an arteriovenous malformation, was discovered in a pre-fight CAT scan and force him from the bout.

UFC 117 will be held August 7, 2010 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

Jay Pagliaro is the co-host of Shambala Sports Radio on FiveKnuckles.com. The show airs every Thursday at 10 PM Eastern Time. Click here to listen live or catch archives of our latest shows.