Sorry "Godzilla" fans, but it seems a groin injury has done what Mothra never could.
On the heels of his Boston massacre at UFC 118: "Edgar vs. Penn 2," former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 contestant Gabe Ruediger has been forced to withdraw from his 155-pound scrap against Paul Kelly at the upcoming UFC 123 pay-per-view on Nov. 20 in Auburn Hills, MI.
'Zilla dropped the "disappointment" bomb via his official website:
"Ive been training with injuries for this whole camp and Ive been trying to just work around them. One injury that has been giving me daily issues was a groin strain. This happened about 3 weeks ago wrestling. I was wrapping it and just enduring the pain, but Wednesday, I was back to wrestling and my groin tore all the way through. As I laid on the mat I knew it was bad, but it wasnt until Friday that I realized that it would be impossible to be ready for my upcoming bout."
The UFC has yet to announce a possible replacement.
UFC 123 is expected to be headlined by a light heavyweight match up of top contenders Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Karo "The Heat" Parisyan has also been given a second chance at UFC stardom against the venerable Dennis "Superman" Hallman.
For the current UFC 123 fight card and rumors click here.