With WEC 44 less than two weeks away, a slight change has been made to the card as WEC newcomer Will Kerr has been tapped as the official replacement for TUF 1 cast-member Alex Karalexis, who withdrew from the event due to a broken hand.

Kerr will face fellow WEC rookie Kamal Shalorus in a lightweight bout set for the preliminary portion of the WEC 44 fight card. News of the change was first reported by MMAjunkie.com and was subsequently confirmed by the WEC.

"This is the perfect opportunity for two blossoming lightweights to make an instant impact in the WEC," said WEC General Manager Reed Harris. "Both of these guys believe that they can one day contend for the lightweight title. On Nov. 18, we'll find out which fighter moves one step closer to achieving that goal."

Kerr is currently riding a five-fight winning streak, with his most recent win coming against Pete Jeffery at Untamed 29 in Massachusetts on August 29. Prior to the winning streak, he suffered his first career loss at the hands of Ian Loveland at Ring of Combat 13 in 2006.

Kerr has fought the majority of his four year career for the Northeast-based Full Force Productions organization, fighting five of his nine career fights with the promotion. He sports a near perfect 8-1 MMA record, with five of his wins coming by stoppage.

Shalorus most recently defeated Justin Miller at a Supreme Warrior Championship event in June. He previously fought to a draw with Mikel Bronzoulis at King of Kombat 6 in April. Shalorus has put together an unbeaten 4-0-1 MMA record since turning pro in April 2008. He has finished all four of his career wins, including three by TKO or KO.

WEC 44 takes place on Nov. 18 at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV and the event's main card will air live on Versus. The event is headlined by a WEC featherweight title bout between current champ Mike Brown and challenger Jose Aldo.

In addition, a crucial featherweight bout between UFC veterans Manny Gamburyan and Leonard Garcia will serve as the evenings co-main event.