Report: Penn out of UFC Manila main event due to injury
BJ Penn has hit another bump on the comeback trail.
The former dual-division champion has been forced to withdraw from the main event of UFC Fight Night 97 on Oct. 15 due to an injury, according to a report from John Morgan of MMAjunkie citing a source with knowledge of the booking.
Penn was scheduled to fight No. 4-ranked featherweight Ricardo Lamas. The promotion now has 11 days to find a replacement.
The fight with Lamas was to be Penn's first since retiring after a July 2014 loss to Frankie Edgar. That was the second retirement for the 37-year-old Penn, who also stepped away from MMA in 2012.
At his peak, Penn was one of the most feared fighters in the world. He held the UFC's lightweight and welterweight championships on separate occasions, one of only two fighters to win belts in two divisions. However, he has struggled since 2010, winning just once in his past seven contests.
UFC Fight Night 97 is scheduled to take place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. It features a co-main event bout between top-10 heavyweight Derrick Lewis and Marcin Tybura.