UFC signs Shinsho Anzai as late replacement to face Alberto Mina in Macau

Long considered as one of the top prospects, Alberto Mina's debut with the big leagues has been long overdue. After being stuck in a lengthy contract dispute with Bellator that didn't even get him to compete with the promotion, the Hong Kong-based Brazilian was finally signed by the UFC and was supposed to compete last February.

Unfortunately, his opponent in Zak Cumming didn't even come close to making weight, postponing his debut yet again. He had been re-booked for the upcoming UFC: Macau card against TUF veteran Sheldon Westcott, but thoughts of another cancellation may have crossed his mind during the last few days as the Canadian fighter had to bow out as well.

As Bloody Elbow has learned through multiple sources in Asia, Westcott had to be pulled out due to injury just as he was finishing up his camp in Thailand and getting acclimated to the region. Mina's bout will still push through, as the promotion has found a late replacement by signing a promising Pancrase vet in 'Animal' Shinsho Anzai.

Bout agreements are in place and have been signed by at least one party, with the official announcement expected to be made by the UFC soon.

Anzai is 8-1 in his career, and is coming off an impressive TKO win over middleweight King of Pancrase, Ryo Kawamura. The victory extended his winning streak to 6 bouts, and more importantly, it turned enough heads and got the 28-year-old a shot at the UFC.

Mina on the other hand, has a perfect 10-0 record and last fought on Rebel FC 1 where he defeated Team Quest's Glenn Sparv before signing with the UFC. The double black belt in BJJ and Judo trains in Epic MMA in Hong Kong, and will have a partisan crowd cheering for him come fight time.

UFC: Macau happens on August 23, with the Fight Pass card having a good balance of local flavor and highly ranked contenders. The headlining bouts feature a middleweight clash between Michael Bisping and Cung Le, along with a welterweight contest between Dong Hyun Kim and Tyron Woodley.

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