‘Shogun’ Rua vs. Ovince Saint Preux 2 set to headline UFC Fight Night 117 in Japan

The UFC’s return to Japan will be headlined by a former Pride FC champion.

Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua has been scheduled to face Ovince Saint Preux in the main event of UFC Fight Night 117, which is set to take place on Sept. 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The news was announced by the UFC on Thursday.

This bout is a rematch, as both Rua and Saint Preux met in the Octagon almost three years ago at UFC Fight Night 56 in Brazil. The American won the bout in impressive fashion, knocking out Rua in just 34 seconds.

Since their first fight, the 35-year-old Rua has picked up three straight victories, defeating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Corey Anderson, and most recently Gian Villante. The MMA veteran and former UFC champion is currently 25-10 in his fighting career and finds himself ranked fifth in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Meanwhile, Saint Preux, who sits at No. 7 in the rankings, went on to fight seven times since the fight with Rua. Saint Preux compiled a record of 3-4 that includes a loss to Jon Jones for the light heavyweight interim title back at UFC 197.