Li Jingliang forced out of UFC Fort Lauderdale bout vs. Alex Oliveira with an injury

Power puncher Li Jingliang won’t be able to test his hands against the Brazilian Cowboy, Alex Oliveira.

According to Combate, the 31-year-old Chinese athlete was forced out of their bout at UFC Fort Lauderdale due to a neck injury that took place about two weeks ago. The UFC will look for a suitable replacement to take on Oliveira at the event.

Currenty on a two-fight winning streak, Li Jingliang (16-5) picked up a knockout win over David Zawada in November 2018 and an unanimous decision victory against Daichi Abe before that. The ‘Leech’ has not lost a fight since dropping a unanimous decision to Jake Matthews back in February 2018.

Meanwhile, Alex Oliveira (19-6-1-2 NC) will look to bounce back from a submission loss to Gunnar Nelson in his last outing at UFC 231. Before the loss, the 31-year-old was on a two-fight winning streak, with a TKO win over Carlo Pedersoli Jr. and a submission victory over former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit.

UFC on ESPN 3 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is set for Saturday, April 27th. The card will be headlined by a middleweight bout between contenders Yoel Romero and Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza.