Curtis Blaydes faced a tough decision regarding UFC Fight Night 231. Despite battling injuries, Blaydes (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) ultimately chose to withdraw from his scheduled headliner against Jailton Almeida (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo on November 4. In his absence, Derrick Lewis (27-11 MMA, 18-9 UFC), a former title challenger, will step in as a replacement. Blaydes addressed the situation on his Facebook page, explaining that he couldn’t fully recover from his injuries during training.
“Injuries from camp weren’t healing at a fast enough pace for me to compete at the level required to be the best version of myself on November 4th. There’s a difference between being hurt and injured; it took me almost three months to see the difference. I’m taking some time off from training to focus on rehabbing and regain confidence in my athletic abilities. I apologize to everyone who was looking forward to this fight. Rest assured, this decision was not made rashly.”
Blaydes aimed to recover from a first-round TKO loss to Sergei Pavlovich in April. Prior to that, he achieved three consecutive victories over Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Chris Daukaus, and Tom Aspinall.
For more information about the event, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231.
Sarah Foster is your guide to the world of Mixed Martial Arts. With a deep understanding of MMA’s intricacies and a passion for the sport, she offers comprehensive coverage of MMA events, fighter profiles, and in-depth analysis of fights. Sarah’s commitment to the octagon ensures that readers stay engaged with the latest developments in the MMA world.
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