Jared Gordon out of UFC 211 with food poisoning

Jared Gordon faced a terribly difficult road to UFC 211. He became addicted to pain killers at 19, was taking heroin at 21 (it costs less), was in lock up at 22, and homeless begging on the streets of New York at 23. There’s more, too.

And now shortly before weigh-ins, he was forced to pull out of his fight with Michel Quinones. Gordon himself made the announcement via his social network.

Unfortunately, I will not be fighting tomorrow. Everything was going smooth last night when I turned sick at about 8-9 pm. I was experiencing food poison symptoms. I was admitted to the hospital, alongside UFC’s doctor. I was advised to use an IV, by both ER and UFC’s doctor, which would make me ineligible to fight because of USADA’s rules.”

The number is fighters experiencing symptoms of food poisoning shortly before weigh-ins is disproportionate in the extreme. What is more likely happening is their immune system or some other aspect of their health is compromised by the intense weight cut. The process of reducing fighters to a state of near hospitalization to make weight the day before the most intense physical activity imaginable is not a rational one.

This is the second late dropout – earlier in the week Henry Cejudo determined he was unable to fight with a hand that had been injured previously.