"Jacare" will miss out on the chance to avenge a rare loss.
Ronaldo Souza was supposed to get a second shot at Luke Rockhold in the main event of UFC Fight Night 101 on Nov. 26 in Melbourne, Australia, but Rockhold has been forced out with a knee injury, according to a report from MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani.
The two men battled for the Strikeforce middleweight championship in 2011, a bout that Rockhold won by unanimous decision. Since that time, Rockhold went on to win and lose the UFC middleweight title, while Souza has established himself as a top contender at 185 pounds.
It's doubtful that Souza will receive a replacement opponent for the Nov. 26 show and his manager Gilberto Faria is already jockeying for a title fight with Michael Bisping instead.
"Michael Bisping is running from 'Jacare.'" Faria said. "He is so scared of him. He'd rather fight someone like Dominick Cruz, who I would put my money on, by the way."
Related: Why Bisping must fight 'Jacare' at UFC 206
Bisping has said he wants to fight once more before the year is through, but he has shown little interest in a bout with Souza.
"Jacare" currently sits in the No. 3 spot in the official rankings. The Brazilian owns a 6-1 record in the UFC, with notable finishes of Vitor Belfort, Gegard Mousasi, and Yushin Okami on his resume.
The injury news continues a miserable 2016 for Rockhold who entered the year as a UFC champion, only to be the victim of a stunning upset at UFC 199 when Bisping knocked him out inside of a round to take his title.
