UFC welterweight Brian “The Foster Boy” Foster (15-5) has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming UFC 129 bout with Canadian fighter Sean Pierson after a failed pre-fight medical scan. The scan revealed a brain hemorrhage due to a leaking blood vessel in his head.
Foster confirmed the news via Twitter (@brianfoster170) on Tuesday, which has since been confirmed by MMAWeekly.com. The website noted that the fighter would be forced to take it easy for the next six weeks before going back for another check up. No word on his withdrawal from the UFC has come yet, nor any replacement with a few weeks to go before the fight.
UFC 129 is set to take place on April 30 at the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto, Ontario and will feature a sold-out crowd of 55,000 fans for the event.
Foster had won two in a row, including a “Knockout of the Night” bonus against Forrest Petz at UFN 22 last September, and is 3-2 in the UFC overall. His last win was over Matt Brown in November, a second round submission win at UFC 123.
Pierson made his UFC debut in December against Matt Riddle at UFC 124, winning his sixth straight fight. The Canadian has mainly fought for local promotions within his native country over his 15 bout pro career.
UPDATE: The UFC has announced Foster’s withdrawal and is currently looking for a replacement to meet Pierson at UFC 130.