Coleman pulls out of UFC 106 bout with Ortiz

UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman is out of his proposed UFC 106 bout with Tito Ortiz. Sources close to the bout confirmed Coleman's withdrawal to MMAWeekly.com early Tuesday morning.

Word of Coleman's stepping out of the fight first appeared on the TitoOrtiz user account on Twitter late Monday night.

The bout was to serve as Ortiz's return to the UFC after more than a year spent healing an injured back and negotiating with EliteXC, Affliction, and Strikeforce, in addition to the UFC.

Ortiz (15-6-1) hasn't competed since May 24, 2008, when he lost a unanimous decision to current UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

After losing to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in his UFC return, Coleman (16-9) bounced back at UFC 100 with a unanimous decision victory over Stephan Bonnar.

Coleman's withdrawal appears to be due to a tear to one of his medial collateral ligaments. The tear was confirmed to Fighters Only by Coleman's longtime sponsor Mike DiSabato, who added that he has requested the bout be rescheduled.

There had been no word at the time of publication whether the bout would be rescheduled or if the UFC will pursue a replacement to face Ortiz at UFC 106.