The lineup for UFC 189 is currently under fire, and John Hathaway is the latest confirmed fighter to fall victim to injury.
While a fractured rib (h/t Globo/Brazil) suffered by featherweight king Jose Aldo has his highly anticipated bout with Conor McGregor in serious jeopardy, the British welterweight was forced to withdraw from his upcoming bout with Gunnar Nelson due to an undisclosed injury suffered in training as confirmed by UFC officials on Tuesday.
The news was originally reported by MMA Junkie and is the latest setback in a string of rough turns for the once-touted prospect.
The 27-year-old London Shootfighters representative won seven of his first eight showings inside the Octagon, but the past three years have seen his momentum stall dramatically. The Hitman was sidelined for 17 months while he recovered from illness and injury, only to have his comeback bout against Dong Hyun Kim soured via a vicious spinning back elbow in the third round of their main event tilt at The Ultimate Fighter: China Finale in March 2014.
Furthermore, Hathaway’s continued battle with Chron’s Disease has kept him on the shelf in the 16 months since his bout with Stun Gun. While there has been no official replacement named as of yet, according to MMA Junkie the promotion is seeking to fill the slot opposite Nelson for UFC 189.
Where Hathaway would have been looking to turn things around on July 11 in Las Vegas, the Iceland native shares the same objective. The grappling ace suffered the first loss of his professional career at the hands of Rick Story at Fight Night 53 as he was edged out by the Washington State-born powerhouse via split decision on the judges’ scorecards.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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