With UFC 116 just around the corner, the co-main event underwent a big change when Wanderlei Silva was forced out of his fight with Akiyama. Silva suffered fractured ribs and was forced to withdraw because of injury. The UFC quickly looked for a replacement and Chris Leben jumped at the opportunity to fight Yoshihiro Akiyama.
Leben is coming off a big win at the TUF 11 Finale and would love to make it 2 in a row against the highly regarded Akiyama. This is the 2nd time the Silva vs. Akiyama fight has failed to happen because of injury. Expect Silva to be back as soon as possible and hopefully the 3rd time will be the charm to see these two finally square off.
