Li Jingliang injured, out of UFC Fort Lauderdale clash with Alex Oliveira

Alex Oliveira needs a new opponent for UFC Fort Lauderdale.

Ten days after the UFC announced that “Cowboy” was going to meet Li Jingliang at UFC’s return to Sunrise, Fla. on April 27, the Chinese welterweight was forced out of the contest, sources told MMA Fighting. Combate first reported the news.

According to sources, Jingliang suffered a spinal injury and hasn’t been training well for days. The company is currently looking for a new name to face Oliveira.

The Brazilian fighter is looking to rebound from a second-round submission defeat to Gunnar Nelson in December. Prior to that, “Cowboy” had back-to-back “Performance of the Night” finishes over Carlos Condit and Carlo Pedersoli.

UFC on ESPN 3 will take place at the BB&T Center and it’s set to be headlined by a rematch between middleweights Yoel Romero and Ronaldo Souza.