The following is from TMZ.com:
Bautista’s very first professional MMA fight was nearly scrapped this week when his opponent was arrested for a probation violation … but TMZ has learned organizers have dug up a replacement fighter just in the nick of time.
The fight has been in the works for months … the ex-WWE champ was slated to get in the ring with Rashid Evans (not the one from the UFC) at a CES MMA event in Providence, Rhode Island.
But a rep for the event tells us … Evans was scratched from the fight card when he was arrested for violating his probation some time last week … and once again, it seemed like fate was going to prevent Bautista’s MMA career from ever getting started.
Event organizers scrambled to find a replacement fighter — a guy named Vince Lucero stepped up … which could be a HUUUUGE problem for Bautista because Lucero has been in more than 40 pro fights.
In fact, Lucero has gone toe-to-toe with a bunch of legitimate MMA studs … including former UFC Heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia (Sylvia won that fight).
The fight is still scheduled to go down Saturday at 8pm ET.