Wanderlei Silva Out, Chris Leben In Against Yoshihiro Akiyama At UFC 116
Wanderlei Silva, who was scheduled to meet Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116 on July 3, has been forced to withdraw from the card due to fractured ribs suffered in training, UFC president Dana White confirmed with MMA Fighting Tuesday afternoon.
Silva/Akiyama was a big bout with confirmed title implications. It is very disappointing not only that the bout isn’t happening but that an aging star like Silva will be on the shelf for a while.
A source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (Chris) Leben has agreed to the bout and is expected to sign shortly.
Leben defeated Aaron Simpson at this past weekend’s Ultimate Fighter Finale. It is insane that the guy would step up to take on a star like Akiyama on short notice this soon after a fight. But I suppose crazy is just how Leben rolls.
