Thiago Silva Injured, Rua Declines Teixeira As UFC 149 Replacement Fight

Thiago Silva (Josh Hedges/UFC)

Silva out of UFC 149 bout against Rua, UFC offers fight to Teixeira

Brazilian striker Thiago Silva has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 149 bout against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua due to injury.

The bout would have served as the co-main event of the card which takes place on July 21 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

However, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is currently searching for a replacement for the light heavyweight contest. According to MMAjunkie.com, UFC president Dana White has found one in Glover Teixeira, though Rua has expressed utter disinterest in his would-be opponent.

“With Thiago hurt, we turned to Glover (Teixeira) and asked him to go right back in to fight ‘Shogun’ at UFC 149,” White told MMAjunkie.com. “But ‘Shogun’s’ people are adamantly refusing to take the fight. They want nothing to do with Glover.”

White and company still are pushing for the match up to take place, hoping for Rua to change his mind and agree to the bout.

Teixeira earned the opportunity to step up in competition just recently, fighting on the preliminary card of UFC 146. The Brazilian striker, whose visa issues finally have been resolved, allowing him to fight in the States, dominated Kyle Kingsbury en route to a first round stoppage victory.

Following the win, Teixeira expressed interest to MMAjunkie.com about fighting legends such as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson or the aforementioned Rua. A bout with the latter, though still possible, hinges on Rua’s agreement to fight the lesser known 205 lb. striker.

Regardless of his opponent, Rua will be featured in the co-main event of UFC 149 this July. The card is headlined by a featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and top contender Erik Koch.