The former UFC title challenger pulled out of the contest due to injury, promotion officials confirmed Thursday evening. Ex-UFC titleholder Frank Shamrock has stepped up on short notice to face Sakuraba.
Sakuraba and Shamrock will compete at 185 pounds. It isn’t clear what the length of the bout and the exact rules are.
The last time Sakuraba competed was in an MMA fight at the end of 2015. The UFC Hall of Famer headlined Rizin FF’s debut event against Shinya Aoki and lost by stoppage.
Shamrock last stepped inside the cage in 2009 when he fought Nick Diaz in Strikeforce.