Anthony Hernandez has to wait to make his next big contender statement.
On Monday, the UFC announced a new Oct. 18 UFC Vancouver main event, with Reinier de Ridder taking on Brendan Allen, who is stepping in on short notice for Hernandez. At the time, no reason was given for Hernandez’s withdrawal.
Hernandez took to social media to address the news, revealing he is out of the bout due to injury.
See Hernandez’s statement below.
As you’ve all probably seen unfortunately,
I’ve had to pull out of my upcoming fight due to injury. I want to sincerely apologize to the UFC, to my opponent [de Ridder] , and to everyone who was looking forward to this matchup.
I also want to thank [Allen] for stepping up, it means a lot. To my fans, thank you for always tuning in, supporting me, and riding with me through everything.
Right now my focus is on getting healthy so I can come back stronger than ever. When I return, I’ll be ready to make a statement.
Hernandez couldn’t provide a timetable for a potential return date.
The injury comes at a terrible time for Hernandez (15-2), who has emerged as a top contender in the middleweight division on the strength of eight consecutive wins. He defeated Allen this past January, and then scored a fourth-round submission of Roman Dolidze the following August. An impressive performance against de Ridder might have vaulted Hernandez into a title shot against champion Khamzat Chimaev, with Nassourdine Imavov currently in pole position after defeating Caio Borralho at UFC Paris.
