UFC welterweight Mickey Gall confirmed John Makdessi’s claim that Gall hurt the Canadian lightweight ahead of a planned UFC 214 bout against Sage Northcutt in July.
Mickey Gall was in fact the man behind John Makdessi’s injury ahead of UFC 214 in July.
Gall admitted in a statement to BloodyElbow.com Sunday that he injured Makdessi ahead of the Canadian lightweight’s planned bout against Sage Northcutt, confirming Makdessi’s claim.
Makdessi told FanSided earlier this week that he sparred with Gall while the welterweight was visiting TriStar in Montreal. Makdessi said he injured his shoulder when “f—king punk” Gall, who was apparently training too hard, landed a suplex. That incident led to Makdessi’s UFC 214 bout cancellation and departure from the renowned camp.
Gall wrote he did not hurt his training partner on purpose and regretted the mistake afterwards.
“It’s true. I did hurt him,” Gall wrote. “It was an accident and I felt really bad about it. I was a fan of his. … I would never want to disrespect a training partner or the gym.”
Gall explained that because it was his first day back at TriStar, he was “a little on edge” and might have been training too hard.
“People go hard with me so I go hard too; never ill spirited,” he wrote. “I remember going with John; it was the third round. The two previous rounds I had gone with strong guys like Alex Garcia and Peter Grajcar, and we were using muscle and going hard.”
According to Gall, he hit Makdessi with a fireman’s carry throw but Makdessi did not break fall — he tried to stop the attempt instead — which lead to the fight-cancelling injury.
“I felt awful about it,” Gall wrote. “I should have done a better job protecting him. It was my fault. But sh-t happens it ain’t checkers. I never want to hurt someone in the gym. Especially TriStar, a gym I have a lot of respect for. And though I train there a lot and love the guys, it’s not my home gym — I’m a visitor, and that’s not a good look.”
Gall is one of the hottest prospects in MMA. UFC president Dana White scouted him on Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight last year, and after making his UFC debut in early 2016 against Mike Jackson, he was named CM Punk’s first MMA opponent. Gall dominated the former pro wrestler and tapped him out in the first round at UFC 203 in September 2016.
Gall, who’s 3-0 in the UFC, last fought fellow rising star Northcutt, beating him by submission. Gall is set to face Randy Brown, another fighter found on Lookin’ for a Fight, at UFC 217 in November at Madison Square Garden in New York City.