Photo by Alexandre Schneider /Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
A heavyweight showdown between Ciryl Gane and Shamil Abdurakhimov has just been axed after Gane suffered a collapsed lung (known as pneumothorax) during training in preparation for the 265-pound showdown.
Gane took to social media to announce his withdrawal from the pay-per-view (PPV) event, which is set to go down on April 18, 2020 inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
“Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in New York for UFC 249. I was struck by another pneumothorax during training,” said the heavyweight via Twitter. “Impossible for me to be at 100% by April 18. Don’t worry, everything is fine! I will take this time off to recover and return at my best!”
Apparently, this isn’t the first time Cyril has suffered this injury. It’s a tough blow for “Bon Gamin,” who has been on quite the run since making his professional mixed marital arts (MMA) debut in mid-2018.
After winning his first three pro MMA fights in the span of 10 months, he inked a contract with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in August of 2019. And in the span of just five months, Gane collected three straight victories, all via submission. That impressive streak was good enough to earn him a Top 15 ranking.
On the bright side, the promotion has ample time to find a suitable replacement for Gane to face Shamil Abdurakhimov in Brooklyn.
UFC 249 is set to feature a lightweight title fight between division champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, taking on Tony Ferguson, while Rose Namajunas takes on Jessica Andrade in women’s strawweight action.
To see the current UFC 249: “Khabib vs Ferguson” fight card click here.