Luke Rockhold off the UFC 230 card due to "multiple injuries"

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Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2018/10/19/luke-rockhold-off-the-ufc-230-card-due-to-multiple-injuries/

Photo courtesy: UFC

UFC 230 is undergoing another change to the main card with the news that former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is unable to fight on the show.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto and Ariel Helwani are reporting that Rockhold suffered several injuries that led to his withdrawal. The report lists an infection to his left shin that required a stem cell graft to be inserted. That injury was compounded when he sprained his right knee Thursday and suffered a broken nose in preparing for the card.

Rockhold was set to rematch Chris Weidman on the show, which was a rematch from UFC 194 in December 2015 that Rockhold won to become champion of the division.

ESPN adds that the UFC is attempting to shuffle the card and get Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza to fight Weidman on short notice. Souza is scheduled to fight David Branch on the same card.

Chris Weidman issued the following statement after news of the injury was made public:

I am focused on this fight. I’ll be at MSG on Nov 3. Doesn’t matter who they put in front of me. I’m getting my belt back. My management and ufc will figure the rest out.

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Looks like Weidman vs Jacare is getting confirmed. Honestly, that’s a much more interesting matchup to me. Rockhold Vs Weidman had a definitive ending, and while the rematch made sense given where both men are at in their careers, I’d much rather see the fresh matchup of Chris and Jacare. If they keep Branch on the card, maybe against Paulo Costa, I’d say the card actually improved.

As far as Rockhold pulling out, there have been almost no cards in the past 2 years where the main or co main event didn’t get cancelled. It’s by far the biggest problem in the sport right now. I don’t have anything to say that I haven’t said when John posts about the latest big fight falling apart every month for the past 2 years.