David Michaud Out Of Rory MacDonald Fight Due To Heart Condition

MMA veteran David Michaud may never fight again after he announced the cancellation of his upcoming fight with Rory MacDonald due to a congenital heart condition recently discovered by his doctors.

Michaud, 32, broke the news yesterday on his Twitter account. He was set to face MacDonald on April 29 in the tournament-based PFL’s Season 3 event, but said he has been diagnosed with a “congenital bicuspid aortic valve with dilated aortic root”. As a result, he said he’s at risk for a potentially fatal heart episode if he were to continue his fight career.

because of the dilation of the aorta, fighting puts me at risk for an aortic dissection — a tear in the aorta. That would be fatal under almost all circumstances. For this reason I will not be able to fight Rory Macdonald on April 29th, and unless anything changes, ever again.

— David Michaud (@bulldawg_170) April 8, 2021

Michaud wrote he learned of the condition as he underwent a standard pre-fight medical checkup. An EKG came back “abnormal” several times, which required more tests so he could be cleared by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, which regulates the April 29 event at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

“I’ve talked to a handful of cardiologists and they all told me fighting with it or any contact sports in general could prove fatal, as the aorta can tear or rupture from impact,” Michaud wrote in a text to MMA Fighting. “This was all just in the last five, six days so as of right now, I am not sure what I am doing from here.”

Michaud has fought for several major MMA promotions, including the UFC, Bellator, LFA and most recently the PFL. He made it to the finals of the Season 2 welterweight tournament, winning three of four bouts before taking a loss in the finals of the tournament.

MacDonald’s fight against Michaud marked MacDonald’s scheduled debut for the promotion after a long stint in Bellator, where he won the welterweight title and competed for the middleweight championship.

While MacDonald is likely to find a replacement hopefully, it’s a concerning and scary time for Michaud, whom we will never see int he cage likely ever again. Hopefully he’ll find a role on a team as a top coach, as his successful runs could be useful for the up and comers in the sport.

Do you think MacDonald will get a replacement? How do you feel about Michaud’s heart condition?