Cejudo hand injury causes cancelation of Pettis fight
Henry Cejudo: “The doctor looked at X-rays and informed me my hand wasn’t broken, so I assumed it was just bruised or sprained.”
UFC 211 is one of the greatest cards of the year, but it’s a little less great. Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo is injured, and has been pulled from the card.
Cejudo provided a statement to Ariel Helwani for MMA Fighting, and later posted it to his social network.
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.
It is baffling that Cejudo’s team were making assumptions around a potentially fight ending injury.
There was no time to find a replacement, so Pettis will be paid his show money. He will not have to weigh in.
It’s a s****y feeling, man, said Pettis. I’ve never had this happen to me before. I put so much time and effort into this camp. I was three days away from a performance of a lifetime.
Krzysztof Jotko vs. David Branch moves up to the main card. Jared Gordon vs. Michel Quinones moves up to the FX prelims.