World Series of Fighting welterweight Josh Burkman, currently one of the hottest 170-pounders in any MMA promotion, has announced he will miss six to eight weeks of action because of a broken finger.
Burkman tweeted the news Monday evening:
Out 6-8 wks w a Mallet fracture 2 my finger… Lookin 2 make title fight happen Oct. Hopefully the brass @MMAWorldSeries make this happen.
— Joshua Burkman (@JoshBurkman) June 24, 2013
According to the website of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AOS), a mallet fracture or mallet finger (also known as “baseball finger”) occurs “when a ball or other object strikes the tip of the finger or thumb [and] the force damages the thin tendon that straightens the finger.” It leaves the injured party unable to properly extend the finger. The AOS website indicates that the injury does not typically require surgery.
Burkman (26-9) earned the biggest victory of his MMA career on June 14, when, at World Series of Fighting 3, he choked out elite welterweight and former UFC title contender Jon Fitch with a guillotine choke in the first round. It was the first submission loss of Fitch’s career since his first pro fight back in 2002.
The 32-year-old Burkman had a 5-5 run in the UFC between 2005 and 2008. He was jettisoned from the promotion after losing to Pete Sell at UFC 90.
Since the release, Burkman has been a man possessed, going 8-1, including a victory in each of WSOF‘s first three events.
Despite his successful run in WSOF and elsewhere, however, Burkman has been effusive in his praise of WSOF and steadfast in his desire to stay with the promotion. The recent injury news is surely a blow both to Burkman and to the WSOF, which was undoubtedly hoping to capitalize on Burkman‘s defeat of a big UFC name in Fitch.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com