Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua Out, Yushin Okami In At UFC Fight Night 117: Japan
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua Out, Yushin Okami In At UFC Fight Night 117: Japan
UFC light heavyweight Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua is out of his UFC Japan rematch against Ovince Saint Preux.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will not compete in the main event of UFC Fight Night 117 in Tokyo, Japan, after all.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion was scheduled to face Ovince Saint Preux Sept. 23 in a rematch of their 2014 encounter, which Rua lost via knockout.
MMA Today first reported the news, and FloCombat confirmed with sources close to the situation Rua was hospitalized yesterday, but the reasons remain unknown at this time.
Following that report, it was announced during the UFC Pittsburgh broadcast former UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami would step in to face Saint Preux at the event.
Okami rides into the fight on a four-fight winning streak, but all four have come at welterweight, 35 pounds south of the 205-pound weight class. Okami last competed for the UFC in September 2013, losing via knockout to Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. He is 5-2 overall since that fight.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion was scheduled to face Ovince Saint Preux Sept. 23 in a rematch of their 2014 encounter, which Rua lost via knockout.
MMA Today first reported the news, and FloCombat confirmed with sources close to the situation Rua was hospitalized yesterday, but the reasons remain unknown at this time.
Following that report, it was announced during the UFC Pittsburgh broadcast former UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami would step in to face Saint Preux at the event.
Okami rides into the fight on a four-fight winning streak, but all four have come at welterweight, 35 pounds south of the 205-pound weight class. Okami last competed for the UFC in September 2013, losing via knockout to Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. He is 5-2 overall since that fight.