Yuta Sasaki Replaces Retired Holohan, Meets Willie Gates at UFC Fight Night Rotterdam

Tristen CritchfieldApr 26, 2016

Japanese bantamweight Yuta Sasaki has replaced Patrick Holohan and will lock horns with Willie Gates at UFC Fight Night in Rotterdam on May 8.

The Las Vegas-based promotion revealed the new matchup on Tuesday after Holohan was forced to retire from MMA due to a rare bleeding disorder. While Holohan vs. Gates was originally booked at 125 pounds, it is unclear at which weight class Gates-Sasaki will take place.

UFC Fight Night takes place at Ahoy Rotterdam in the Netherlands and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt pitting Alistair Overeem against Andrei Arlovski. The evening’s main card will air on Fox Sports 1, with preliminary bouts appearing on both FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Sasaki submitted Roland Delorme in his Octagon debut in August 2014 but has since dropped consecutive bouts to Leandro Issa and Taylor Lapilus. The 26-year-old known as “Ulka” is 18-3-2 in his professional career.