Tag: always injured

Injury Updates: Pettis Hoping for Early July Return, Bisping Possibly Facing Additional Layoff

(via Fox Sports.)

Suffice it to say, the past couple years have been injury-plagued (or perhaps even, cursed) ones for the UFC, but especially so for the promotion’s champions and biggest stars. Dominick Cruz has been out of action since Eisenhower was in office, Jose Aldo fought just once in 2012, and Anderson Silva, Anthony Pettis, and Cain Velasquez have all undergone major surgeries recently. Jon Jones is arguably still recovering from his war with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, as his next title fight with Glover Teixeira has been delayed some three times since initially being announced.

But not all is hopeless; Jones and Aldo both have their next fights lined up, and Cruz and Silva have either vacated their titles or been removed from the title picture, freeing up some space in their respective divisions. And Pettis, who underwent successful knee surgery back in November to fix a torn PCL suffered in his title-earning win over Ben Henderson at UFC 164, expects to be back in action just in time for the UFC’s annual Fourth of July card.

“The doctor said six to eight months, so I’m hoping six months,” Pettis told UFC Tonight yesterday evening. Unfortunately, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert Klapper also appeared on the program (video above) and seemed slightly less positive about the lightweight champion’s recovery timetable:

In my opinion, this is about the toughest thing you can come back for. Of all the injuries that can happen to a knee, when you’re talking about the ACL or the meniscus, these are the structures in the front. It’s easy for us as surgeons to get there. When you’re talking about the back of the knee, where the arteries and nerves are, a much trickier area to get to, the results are not as terrific as they are with the structures we rebuild in the front. I would pray for him. Coming back in July? That’s really optimistic.

My God, an injured UFC champion is becoming a more frequent occurrence than a tween star meltdown these days (I’m sorry). At least Pettis has that amazing UFC healthcare to fall back on, whereas Bieber only has enough money to turn major highways into his own private race tracks. I guess it’s not easy growing up anywhere.

Keeping with the string of terrible, injury-related news, UFC Tonight also touched on a potential health issue that could further delay Michael Bisping‘s octagon return. News on that after the jump…


(via Fox Sports.)

Suffice it to say, the past couple years have been injury-plagued (or perhaps even, cursed) ones for the UFC, but especially so for the promotion’s champions and biggest stars. Dominick Cruz has been out of action since Eisenhower was in office, Jose Aldo fought just once in 2012, and Anderson Silva, Anthony Pettis, and Cain Velasquez have all undergone major surgeries recently. Jon Jones is arguably still recovering from his war with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, as his next title fight with Glover Teixeira has been delayed some three times since initially being announced.

But not all is hopeless; Jones and Aldo both have their next fights lined up, and Cruz and Silva have either vacated their titles or been removed from the title picture, freeing up some space in their respective divisions. And Pettis, who underwent successful knee surgery back in November to fix a torn PCL suffered in his title-earning win over Ben Henderson at UFC 164, expects to be back in action just in time for the UFC’s annual Fourth of July card.

“The doctor said six to eight months, so I’m hoping six months,” Pettis told UFC Tonight yesterday evening. Unfortunately, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert Klapper also appeared on the program (video above) and seemed slightly less positive about the lightweight champion’s recovery timetable:

In my opinion, this is about the toughest thing you can come back for. Of all the injuries that can happen to a knee, when you’re talking about the ACL or the meniscus, these are the structures in the front. It’s easy for us as surgeons to get there. When you’re talking about the back of the knee, where the arteries and nerves are, a much trickier area to get to, the results are not as terrific as they are with the structures we rebuild in the front. I would pray for him. Coming back in July? That’s really optimistic.

My God, an injured UFC champion is becoming a more frequent occurrence than a tween star meltdown these days (I’m sorry). At least Pettis has that amazing UFC healthcare to fall back on, whereas Bieber only has enough money to turn major highways into his own private race tracks. I guess it’s not easy growing up anywhere.

Keeping with the string of terrible, injury-related news, UFC Tonight also touched on a potential health issue that could further delay Michael Bisping‘s octagon return. News on that after the jump…

I’d like to think that Michael Bisping’s recent retina issues are the karmatic result of the brash middleweight not only mocking Alan Belcher’s near career-ending eye injury as being the result of “watching too much internet porn” (as if that’s a thing, right guys? GUYS?), but subsequently attempting to blind Belcher in their fight at UFC 159. In any case, it appears that “The Count,” who was all but a lock to fight newest rival Tim Kennedy at the TUF Nations finale barring an eye examination with the UFC’s doctors, could be facing additional complications in the form of a cataract as well.

Although Bisping is set to undergo said eye exams today, UFC Tonight passed along word that the Brit has developed a cataract in his injured right eye that could halt his return. If Bisping passes all the required exams, he should be cleared to fight. If he fails the tests and requires additional surgery, he could be looking at another six weeks out of action. I have to imagine that this will hamper his ability to kick Mark Munoz and Lyoto Machida’s asses at the same time, but then again, I never fought five men on Fedor’s shoulders who was also on Zeus’s shoulders but only Zeus could kick.

I know what you’re thinking: How is Tim Kennedy taking this news?

We will keep you updated on Bisping’s situation as information is made available.

–J. Jones

Thiago Alves *Finally* Healthy, Hoping to Continue Obliterating Legs at UFC 171 in March


(“C’mon bro, you’re a UFC fighter for Christ’s sake. If you start crying, you’ll never be able to show your face in this parlor again. You’ll be no better than Phil Baroni.” Photo via ami-james.)

It feels like its been eons since we’ve seen Thiago Alves in action, and by “in action,” we mean cutting down fighters young and old with leg kicks powerful enough to give even Cecil Peoples nightmares. Ever since suffering a last minute, come-from-behind submission defeat at the hands of Martin Kampmann last March, Alves has been forced to pull out of bouts with Siyar Bahadurzada and Matt Brown due to various injuries. In fact, Alves has hit something of a rough patch ever since fighting Georges “The Career Killer” St. Pierre at UFC 100, having dropped 3 of his past 5 contests and picking up wins over less-than-stellar competition.

Thankfully, none other than Ariel Helwani has passed along the news that Alves is finally healthy again and hoping to secure a fight at UFC 171: Jones vs. Teixeira.

Who would you like to see Alves paired up with in his return bout, Nation? Pyle? MacDonald? Paulo Odbelis?! Before you decide, let’s all just revel in the only Thiago Alves highlight reel that isn’t accompanied by a horrendous rap song after the jump.


(“C’mon bro, you’re a UFC fighter for Christ’s sake. If you start crying, you’ll never be able to show your face in this parlor again. You’ll be no better than Phil Baroni.” Photo via ami-james.)

It feels like its been eons since we’ve seen Thiago Alves in action, and by “in action,” we mean cutting down fighters young and old with leg kicks powerful enough to give even Cecil Peoples nightmares. Ever since suffering a last minute, come-from-behind submission defeat at the hands of Martin Kampmann last March, Alves has been forced to pull out of bouts with Siyar Bahadurzada and Matt Brown due to various injuries. In fact, Alves has hit something of a rough patch ever since fighting Georges “The Career Killer” St. Pierre at UFC 100, having dropped 3 of his past 5 contests and picking up wins over less-than-stellar competition.

Thankfully, none other than Ariel Helwani has passed along the news that Alves is finally healthy again and hoping to secure a fight at UFC 171: Jones vs. Teixeira.

Who would you like to see Alves paired up with in his return bout, Nation? Pyle? MacDonald? Paulo Odbelis?! Before you decide, let’s all just revel in the only Thiago Alves highlight reel that isn’t accompanied by a horrendous rap song after the jump.


(Props: Youtube user 92maxiboi)

–J. Jones

Dana White Lends Some Credence to Chael Sonnen’s Lil Nog Jokes at the Expense of His Own Intelligence


(We would have also accepted “Luke Cummo.” Via The American Gangster’s twitter.) 

As you all know, Alexander Gustafsson was recently scheduled to take on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (as we suggested) in a match that was in no way a gimme fight to set up Jones/Gustafsson II. Less than a week later, Lil’ Nog pulled out from the fight with a back injury — the fifth such time he has been forced to do so in his UFC career.

While most of us (ie. Chael Sonnen) were content to use Nogueira’s run of bad luck as the basis for several personal attacks on Twitter, Dana White recently revealed that the blame for what was quite possibly the shortest-lived fight in UFC history lies solely on his own shoulders, as Lil Nog never actually agreed to the fight in the first place. He tells MMAJunkie:

What happened was that night we decided to make the fight. Gustafsson said yes, and they couldn’t get hold of him, so I said, ‘F–k it,’ and just went with it and announced the fight, and of course, he’s hurt.

The fight isn’t for four months, and he’s already determined he’s hurt. I don’t understand that. The guy is always hurt. Every time you call him, he’s hurt.

While I typically draw the line when it comes to taking pot shots at a Nogueira, I do find it interesting that the younger, not-run-over-by-a-truck-as-a-child Nogueira has been battling more injury issues than the older, run-over-by-a-truck-as-a-child, arm-shattered-by-Frank-Mir Nogueira as of late. I’m not saying Sonnen’s onto something, but he kind of is, you guys.

Taking pot shots at Dana White, on the other hand….


(We would have also accepted “Luke Cummo.” Via The American Gangster’s twitter.) 

As you all know, Alexander Gustafsson was recently scheduled to take on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (as we suggested) in a match that was in no way a gimme fight to set up Jones/Gustafsson II. Less than a week later, Lil’ Nog pulled out from the fight with a back injury — the fifth such time he has been forced to do so in his UFC career.

While most of us (ie. Chael Sonnen) were content to use Nogueira’s run of bad luck as the basis for several personal attacks on Twitter, Dana White recently revealed that the blame for what was quite possibly the shortest-lived fight in UFC history lies solely on his own shoulders, as Lil Nog never actually agreed to the fight in the first place. He tells MMAJunkie:

What happened was that night we decided to make the fight. Gustafsson said yes, and they couldn’t get hold of him, so I said, ‘F–k it,’ and just went with it and announced the fight, and of course, he’s hurt.

The fight isn’t for four months, and he’s already determined he’s hurt. I don’t understand that. The guy is always hurt. Every time you call him, he’s hurt.

While I typically draw the line when it comes to taking pot shots at a Nogueira, I do find it interesting that the younger, not-run-over-by-a-truck-as-a-child Nogueira has been battling more injury issues than the older, run-over-by-a-truck-as-a-child, arm-shattered-by-Frank-Mir Nogueira as of late. I’m not saying Sonnen’s onto something, but he kind of is, you guys.

Taking pot shots at Dana White, on the other hand….well, I think BloodyElbow’s Brent Brookhouse best summed up how I feel about The Baldfather’s line of logic here:

I know I’ve been a bit gif-heavy as of late, but I gotta say, Brent…

NAILED IT.

–J. Jones