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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
A highly unfortunate blow to the UFC 116 card has hit less than two weeks out from the event, as Wanderlei Silva has been forced out of his scheduled co-main event bout with Yoshihiro Akiyama, according to a report from MMAFighting.com.
Citing UFC President Dana White, the report states that Silva has suffered broken ribs while training for the bout, coming to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 3.
A search for a replacement is underway at the moment, as Akiyama has not entered the Octagon since a razor thin decision victory over Alan Belcher at UFC 100 last July. Silva had fought last in February, defeating Michael Bisping by decision in his official debut in the middleweight division.
UFC 116 is headlined by the UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.
Penick's Analysis: Well, this is a terrible blow to the card. It won't affect the buyrate, as this card's certainly all about the main event, but it makes it a less exciting card overall, as this would have been an excellent middleweight bout. I'm not sure who they'll find on a week and a half's notice to take this fight, but it won't bring the same interest as Silva, certainly. Still, Lesnar vs. Carwin is reason enough to get this event, it's just too bad for Wanderlei that he'll no longer get to fight on his birthday.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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