An injured right elbow has forced Anthony Pettis to withdraw from his upcoming fight against Myles Jury on July 25.
According to Pettis’ manager Mike Roberts and head coach Duke Roufus, Pettis suffered a torn muscle and ligaments in his elbow Tuesday night during wrestling practice.
“MMA is a very physically demanding sport,” Roufus said, “especially the wrestling and grappling. Our fighters rarely get an injury from striking that causes a cancellation. It’s the wrestling and grappling.”
Roberts said Pettis is tentatively scheduled to undergo surgery next Tuesday in Las Vegas. The surgery will be performed by the UFC’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Steven Sanders. He is expected to be out for approximately four-to-six months.
Pettis most recently lost the UFC lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos in March. He was expected to be cleared on Friday to begin sparring again after suffering a broken orbital bone in the fight. Pettis has only fought twice since Aug. 2013 due to a knee injury and his role on “The Ultimate Fighter” season 20.
“His exact words to me were, ‘I just can’t catch a break,'” Roberts said. “He’s devastated. He was excited to start his climb back to the title.”
As a result of the injury, Edson Barboza will now fight Jury on the main card of UFC on FOX 16, per a report on FOX Sports Live. TJ Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao 2 for the UFC bantamweight title will headline the card.