Injury removes Naoki Inoue from upcoming UFC Japan fight card

Naoki Inoue, an 11-0 flyweight prospect, revealed via his Instagram that he has withdrawn from his scheduled fight with Jenel Lausa. The bout was supposed to take place at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux 2 on September 22nd at the fabled Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

“I will be out of [UFC Japan] because of [a] dislocated right shoulder,” wrote Inoue in the caption to a video he posted on September 2nd. In the video Inoue says he’s sorry for the injury and then expresses that he hopes his fans will continue to cheer him on in spite of it. Naoki ends the video with the traditional Japanese rallying cry of ‘Osu!’

The 20-year-old Inoue, who has 7 submission victories in his young career, made his UFC debut on June 17th at UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia in Singapore. At that event he tooka lopsided decision victory over Filipino fighter Carlos John De Tomas (who weighed in five pounds over the flyweight limit).

UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux 2 marks the UFC’s first return to Saitama since 2015 (and UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson). Along with the headline event of Mauricio Rua re-matching Ovince Saint Preux, the card features a strawweight match between title challengers Claudia Gadelha and Jessica Andrade, and the debut of kickboxing legendGokhan Saki (who fights Henrique da Silva at 205lbs).