Antonio Rogerio Nogueira injured, will not fight Gustafsson in March

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was expected to face Alexander Gustafsson (15-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) at London’s O2 Arena on March 8, 2014.

However, according to MMA Fighting, a lingering back injury will prevent “Lil Nog” from competing in the proposed headliner opposite “The Mauler.”

Since joining the UFC ranks, Nogueira has pulled out of a handful of fights due to injuries. The 37-year-old has not fought since UFC 156 in February, where he earned a unanimous decision victory over former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.

Meanwhile, Alexander Gustafsson is coming off a “Fight of the year” performance opposite champion Jon “Bones” Jones at September’s UFC 165 event in Toronto. Unfortunately for Gustafsson fans, the powerful Swede came out on the losing end of the judges decision that evening. Prior to the Jones loss, Gus had strung together 6 straight victories inside the octagon.

Who would you like to see Gustafsson face now that “Lil Nog” is out of the picture? Let’s hear it Penn Nation!