Anthony Hernandez just suffered a costly injury.
“Fluffy” was supposed to be putting his best foot forward next month in the main event of UFC Vancouver opposite fellowing surging Middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder. The bout was a big opportunity for Hernandez, a chance to push his name to the top of the current Khamzat title shot sweepstakes. UFC CEO Dana White was clear that either Nassourdine Imavov or the victor of Hernandez vs. de Ridder would get the next title shot, but for now, that door
has closed.
Replacing Hernandez will be Brendan Allen, a man whom Hernandez has defeated twice previously. It’s still an intriguing fight, but the fight card has taken a definite hit without “Fluffy.” Addressing the whole situation on Instagram, Hernandez was both apologetic and respectful, though he didn’t go into detail on what injury was suffered or how.
“As you’ve all probably seen unfortunately, I’ve had to pull out of my upcoming fight due to injury,” Hernandez wrote in his caption. “I want to sincerely apologize to the ufc, to my opponent [Reinier de Ridder], and to everyone who was looking forward to this matchup.
“I also want to thank [Brendan 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.“
At 31 years of age, there’s still plenty of time for Hernandez to recover from this setback. The California-native has won eight-straight bouts to earn his No. 6 position in the UFC rankings, most recently pummeling Roman Dolidze into submission (watch here). He may not be the next man to face Khamzat, but Hernandez is still in the title mix whenever he’s back in action.
