Injured Jake Ellenberger out of UFN 34 main event

The long-awaited UFC debut of Tarec Saffiedine has been thrown another curveball.

The former Strikeforce welterweight champion was set to headline UFC’s first trip to Singapore on Jan. 4 against Jake Ellenberger, but "Sponge" is currently waiting for a new opponent. Ellenberger confirmed the news with MMAFighting.com, citing a pulled muscle. He will not need surgery.

According to sources close to the situation, the UFC is currently seeking for a replacement for the main event, but it hasn’t officially announced the injury yet. Combate first reported the injury.

Saffiedine (14-3) hasn’t fought since January, when he dominated Nate Marquardt to become Strikeforce’s last welterweight champion. Prior to the title win, the Team Quest product scored decision victories over Roger Bowling, Tyler Stinson and Scott Smith under the Strikeforce banner.