Winnipeg’s first UFC event has suffered yet another setback, as Antonio Rogerio Nogueira has been forced to pull out of his co-main event bout with Mauricio (Shogun) Rua with an injury.
The UFC confirmed to Sportsnet that Nogueira is definitely out and the promotion is looking for a replacement to fight Rua. GloboEsporte.com is reporting Nogueira suffered a herniated disc.
Nogueira (21-5) is riding a two-fight win streak with both victories over former UFC light-heavyweight champions. At UFC 156 in February Nogueira won a decision over Rashad Evans; prior to that he TKO’d Tito Ortiz at UFC 140 in Toronto.
His bout with Rua was a highly anticipated rematch of a Fight of the Year candidate from 2005 when the two both competed for the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championships. Rua won a unanimous decision in their first meeting.
This by no means if the first time Nogueira has pulled out of a scheduled fight in the UFC:
— at UFC 109 in 2010 Nogueira was scheduled to fight Brandon Vera, but was forced off the card with an injured ankle.
— at UFC 133 in 2011 Nogueira was set to meet Rich Franklin, but he pulled out of the fight with a shoulder injury.
— at UFC on Fuel TV 2 in 2012 Nogueira was expected to face Alexander Gustafsson in the main event in first ever UFC event in Sweden, but a knee injury forced his withdrawal.
The UFC has yet to name a replacement, but it is expected that Shogun will remain on the card.
Some names being bandied about as suitable replacements for Lil Nog include high-ranking 205-pounders Glover Teixeira and Gegard Mousasi.
Teixeira (21-2) is coming off a first-round win over James Te-Huna at UFC 160, which earned him a Submission of the Night bonus. Teixeira was handed a medical suspension after UFC 160. In order to receive medical clearance Teixeira needs his right hand and left elbow x-rayed. Then, if everything is okay, he needs doctor’s clearance or will be medically suspended until Nov 22.
Mousasi (34-3-2) is a former Strikeforce and Dream light-heavyweight champion coming off a win in his UFC debut against Ilir Latifi in April. It has been reported that Mousasi is considering dropping to middleweight, a division he has competed in before.
The removal of Nogueira is the latest change to the Winnipeg card, which takes place June 15 at the MTS Centre.
UFC 161 was originally set to feature an interim bantamweight title bout between Renan Barao and former WEC champ Eddie Wineland, however Barao was injured in training and the fight was removed.
Other fighters, including TJ Waldburger and Isaac Vallie-Flagg, have also had to pull out of the event with injuries.
A light-heavyweight bout between Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson now serves as the main event.
