SAN JOSE, Calif. – The void left by Anthony Johnson has been filled.

With “Rumble” out of the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix due to serious illness, rising contender Julius Anglickas will step into his place, the promotion announced Saturday on the Bellator 266 broadcast.

For his tournament semifinal, Anglickas (10-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will challenge champion Vadim Nemkov on Oct. 16 at Bellator 268 in Phoenix.

Anglickas, 30, rides a nine-fight winning streak into the bout, which includes three Bellator victories over Jordan Young, Alex Polizzi and Gregory Millard. After his win over Millard this past April, Anglickas was named an alternate by the promotion.

In 2019, Anglickas was featured on Dana White’s Contender Series and defeated Karl Reed. However, he was not offered a UFC contract. The 6-foot-3 light heavyweight is a former LFA champion.

As for Nemkov (13-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC), he enters the fight on an eight-fight winning streak that includes a title-clinching knockout victory over Ryan Bader and a unanimous decision title defense against Phil Davis in a grand prix quarterfinal.

With the addition, the Bellator 268 lineup includes:

• Champion Vadim Nemkov vs. Julius Anglickas – for Bellator light heavyweight title, grand prix semifinal
• Ryan Bader vs. Corey Anderson – grand prix semifinal
• Benson Henderson vs. Brent Primus
• Henry Corrales vs. Vladyslav Parubchenko
• Karl Albrektsson vs.  TBA
• Brett Johns vs. Erik Perez
• Sullivan Cauley vs. Deon Clash
• Nick Browne vs. Bobby Lee
• Gregory Millard vs. Javier Torres
• Randi Field vs. Sumiko Inaba
• Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Raymond Pina