Mauricio “Shogun” Rua won’t be returning to The Land of the Rising Sun after all.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion was scheduled to fight Ovince Saint Preux (20-10) in the main event of UFC Saitama at Japan’s Saitama Super Arena on Sept. 23, but he has been forced to withdraw with a knee injury and he will be replaced by one-time middleweight title challenger Yushin Okami (34-10)
Rua’s withdrawal was first reported by The MMA Kings, and the new matchup was confirmed on Saturday’s UFC Pittsburgh broadcast.