Rising strawweight prospect Casey O’Neill has been forced to withdraw from her UFC 276 bout against Jessica Eye due to injury.
O’Neill made the announcement on her Twitter page on Thursday, citing a serious ACL injury as the reason.
“Unfortunately, I have to announce that I need to withdraw from my upcoming fight on July 2 due to snapping my ACL last week in training. I’ve spent the past 7 days trying to continue on but it’s just not possible on a fully torn ACL. I will have surgery, recover and be back better than ever before you know it.
“I’m so sad that I don’t get to perform for you guys, I’m so sad that I don’t get to fight but I am excited to get healthy and rebuild.”
After thanking the UFC for their support, “King Casey” would close with a promise.
“I am 24 years old and young in this game. I promise you I will be back better than before and the King is still coming for her crown. Love you guys, thank you for the support.”
Cole Shelton would soon reveal that Maycee Barber has agreed to step in for O’Neill and face Jessica Eye. Barber is coming off a unanimous decision victory last weekend over Montana De La Rosa.
O’Neill is undefeated in her young MMA career and has earned four-straight wins in the UFC. She won her UFC debut over Shane Dobson in Feb. 2021 and has had a meteoric rise into the flyweight rankings.
O’Neill most recently earned a split decision win over Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 271. Before that, she earned back-to-back finishes over Antonina Shevchenko and Lara Procopio.
Following her win over Modafferi, O’Neill used her post-fight interview to verbally confront a booing crowd in Houston. She promised to be a “bad guy” going forward. Yet, this vulnerable and inspirational message will likely only win her more fans across the MMA community.
What do you think the UFC future holds for Casey O’Neill upon her eventual return to competition?
Continue Reading Casey O’Neill Withdraws From UFC 276 Bout Against Eye, Barber Fills In at MMA News.