Report: Ruediger Returning to Octagon for UFC 118

Friday, August 6, 2010



By FCF Staff  If a recent post on Gabe Ruediger’s Twitter account is accurate, the veteran fighter will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since 2006, and will fight Joe Lauzon at UFC 118 on August 28th. Lauzon had been scheduled to fight Terry Etim on the event, which will take place at the TD Garden in Boston. The following posts have appeared on Ruediger’s Twitter page recently:

“Ok, I guess it's been leaked, fighting joe lauzon on ufc 118!”

“Thanks everyone for the kind words. Im excited to get back to the UFC. For the doubters, Ill just keep proving you wrong”

Ruediger (17-5) was widely criticized during his brief run on the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” after the lightweight failed to make weight for his first bout. Since being KO’d by Melvin Guillard in his last UFC appearance in September, 2006, Ruediger has put together a 7-2 record and is currently on a 6 fight winning streak.

Lauzon (18-6) will be competing for the first time since losing to Sam Stout in January, who defeated the former TUF competitor by Unanimous Decision.Prior to that the veteran had won back-to-back bouts over Jeremy Stephens and Kyle Bradley.

The UFC has not officially announced Ruediger’s return or that Etim has withdrawn from UFC 118.