Mike Pierce Forced Out Of Demian Maia Bout With Broken Hand

It looks like injuries just won’t stop haunting UFC welterweight Mike Pierce, who has been forced to withdraw from his The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): Brazil 3 Finale bout with Demian Maia. According to MMA Junkie, Pierce pulled out of the fight, but no specific injury was cited.

Pierce then confirmed the disheartening news on his Facebook page. The bout with Maia was set to be his first bout back since suffering a knee injury at the hands of a Rousimar Palhares heel hook at UFC Fight Night 29, the move that ultimately got “Toquinho” banned from the UFC for life. No time table has been set for Pierce’s return to action.

Pierce had built up a decent amount of momentum prior to his loss to Palhares, and his bout against Maia was yet another opportunity for the hard-nosed fighter to get a win over a true top opponent. He’ll have to get back to health and hopefully rebound soon, but it’s far from guaranteed that he’ll receive a return opponent of the same quality as Maia.

In the meantime, a search for a new opponent to face Maia goes on. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard will most likely draw a middle-of-the-road type of opponent after two straight losses to Rory MacDonald and Jake Shields. After starting off his run at welterweight 3-0 with wins over Jon Fitch, Rick Story, and Dong Hyun Kim, the former middleweight title challenger is quickly fading into irrelevancy.

The TUF: Brazil 3 Finale (also known as UFC Fight Night 42) will take place on May 31 from the Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event now features a Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic main event after the previously scheduled Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva grudge match was rescheduled for UFC 175’s co-main event slot in July.