According to an interview he gave before WSOF 14, Canadian welterweight Ryan Ford competed against former Strikeforce and UFC standout Jake Shields with a broken arm. The video of the interview has been taken down and the timing of the interview is unclear.
“Part of this game is putting your body through hard work and, unfortunately, two days ago on Tuesday at the end of sparring, I broke my arm,” Ford says.
“I found that out yesterday after seeing my doctor for my X-ray results. I have a broken ulna bone, the same one that I actually broke with Michael Hill and it’s just above the plate that was put in my arm. I don’t have a choice but to fight.
“It’s funny, I have the toughest challenge ahead of me on October 11 against Jake Shields and now I get thrown with another challenge: fighting him with a broken arm. We’re not in a sport where insurance is available or where you get injured nine days, ten days out from a fight and you get paid. It don’t work like that. You step into the cage, you get paid. That’s how I feed my wife, my two kids, I put a roof over their head. The only option I have is to step into that cage, put on a helluva fight, and get paid. Broken arm or not,” Ford says.
Ford eventually lost to Shields via rear naked choke submission at 4:29 of the first round.
Pat Reid, Executive Director of Edmonton Combative Sports Commission, told Sherdog.com that Ford passed all pre-fight medical screening, but noted Ford received an indefinite suspension post-fight for a fractured right forearm.