Henry Cejudo Reacts To UFC 211 Fight Cancellation
This Saturday’s (May 13, 2017) stacked UFC 211 main card from Dallas almost made it to fight time without a hitch.
Almost.
News arrived last night that former flyweight title contender Henry Cejudo had been forced out of his main card bout versus Sergio Pettis with a hand injury. The bout was set to open the PPV main card, but now the middleweight bout between David Branch and Krzysztof Jotko has replaced it.
The younger Pettis brother will reportedly be paid his show money without having to make weight, and it’s unknown at this point if the fight will be rescheduled at a later date.
For his part, Cejudo addressed the unfortunate situation in a statement to MMA Fighting, explaining the specifics of the injury and apologizing to both the fans and Pettis:
It is with regret that I have to announce I have had to pull out of my fight with Sergio Pettis this Saturday at UFC 211 due to injury.
I really want to apologize to the fans and to Sergio Pettis for this unfortunate event.
About two weeks ago I injured my hand sparring, and went to the doctor to get it examined after I was unable to grapple or punch. The doctor looked at X-rays and informed me my hand wasn’t broken, so I assumed it was just bruised or sprained. I stopped using my hand for the next week and a half to allow it to rest as much as possible, and I had multiple prp treatments as well as an ultrasound in hopes of breaking up any build up or swelling.
After arriving in Dallas on Tuesday evening, I hit mitts with my striking coach to get my timing down, and after I threw my first punch, a sharp pain shot through my wrist and hand.
My team and I contacted the UFC to see if a cortisone shot would be allowed. The UFC sent me to a hand specialist, and he told me I had a cyst in my wrist as well as a ruptured capsule with the possibility of a tear in the ligament. He informed me the cortisone shot could possibly do more damage than any benefit and told me it would be insane to fight. He contacted the UFC doctors and informed them that my wrist and hand were unfit to fight this Saturday.
I will schedule an appointment with a hand specialist next week and figure out the next course of action.
Thank you and I will be back stronger than ever.
