Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will return to his home away from home as he looks to avenge his last loss in the UFC when he faces Ovince Saint Preux on Sept. 23 in Japan.
UFC officials announced the pairing on Wednesday.
Rua (25-10) became a household name in mixed martial arts during his time competing in Japan as part of PRIDE Fighting Championships before eventually moving to the UFC.
Most recently, Rua has put together an impressive three-fight win streak including a TKO victory over Gian Villante in March. Now he’ll look to avenge a shocking 34-second loss when he gets back into the Octagon in September.
Saint Preux (20-10) just recently rebounded from a three-fight losing streak when he submitted Marcos Rogerio de Lima while becoming the first fighter in UFC history to finish an opponent with the Von Flue choke on two different occasions.
Saint Preux will look to build on that win as he faces Rua for a second time after serving as a last minute replacement in their first fight from 2014.
The UFC Fight Night card will air from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Sept. 23 with more fights to be announced in the coming weeks.
