Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight contender Dan Hornbuckle (22-3) has been forced to withdraw from a Dec. 30 scheduled bout against UFC and PRIDE veteran Ryo Chonan (18-11) at World Victory Road’s Sengoku: Soul of Fight event in Tokyo.
Hornbuckle’s manager, Nick Thompson, confirmed with ProMMAnow.com that Hornbuckle had to pull out of the fight due to a case of the flu. Earlier in the day, Chonan sent out a message via Twitter indicating that Hornbuckle had to withdraw.
The Sengoku event, which will air on a delayed basis on HDNet in the United States, features a main event featherweight title match between champion Marlon Sandro and challenger Hatsu Hioki. Also, Kazuo Misaki will take on journeyman Mike Seal in a middleweight bout and top heavyweight prospect Dave “Pee Wee” Herman will go up against Yoshihiro Nakao.