Big Jameel McCline will have an opportunity to fight for the heavyweight title, a welcome change of fortune for a fighter who was recently considered comeback fodder.

McCline will replace the injured Oleg Maskaev in a 12-round fight against interim World Boxing Council titleist Samuel Peter at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 6.

The six-foot-six, 270-pound heavyweight had been scheduled to fight on Sept. 22 against Vitali Klitschko, the former champion looking to make a comeback after nearly three years away from the ring. Klitschko pulled out due to a back injury.

McCline (38-7, 23 knockouts) was then slotted in to face DaVarryl Williamson on the undercard of the Peter-Maskaev show.

"It's crazy, but that's why you've got to be ready for anything in boxing," McCline said. "I was in against Vitali, then Vitali was out. I was in against Williamson, and now I'm fighting for the world heavyweight championship against Samuel Peter."

McCline, 37, possesses size but has lost in the biggest fights of his career, against Wladimir Klitschko, Chris Byrd and in January to Nikolay Valuev. He is fighting for the first time since the Valuev fight, where he sustained a knee injury.

The hard-punching Peter (28-1, 22 KOs) has rebounded from the only loss of his career, a close decision in a fight in which he knocked down Wladimir Klitschko three times, to post four consecutive wins, including a pair over James Toney.

Maskaev (34-5, 26 KOs) pulled out of the fight earlier this month due to herniated discs in his back. The Russian veteran won the WBC belt in 2006 with a knockout over Hasim Rahman, but hasn't fought since December.

Maskaev figures to get a shot at the Peter-McCline winner when he's healthy.

With files from the Associated Press