UFC Fight Night 130 in Liverpool is a man down, with Gunnar Nelson being out for several months.
The UFC just can’t seem to shake the injury bug of late. A ton of injuries plagued UFC 223 in New York earlier this month (though a handful of those were thanks to Conor McGregor). UFC Atlantic City saw Magomed Bibulatov fall off the card. UFC Santiago lost its main event just days ago, and now, UFC Liverpool is next on the list. Gunnar Nelson is off the card, out of his co-main event scrap against Neil Magny.
A knee injury is reportedly to blame for the withdrawal. The Icelandic welterweight standout, part of Team SBG alongside McGregor, released a statement on Facebook addressing the injury. Nelson’s words make it clear that the news was a bitter pill to swallow for ‘Gunni.’
“Unfortunately I have to withdraw from my fight against Neil Magny on May 27th in Liverpool,” Nelson wrote. “Last weekend I injured my knee. I will undergo an operation right away and I´ll be out for 8-10 weeks. I’m sorry to my family, my opponent, my teammates, the fans and the UFC.”
Nelson continued, addressing the personal toll the injury has taken. “This is a huge blow to me and I’m at a loss for words to describe the disappointment I am feeling. I was really feeling up for this fight, the training camp was going great and everything was just perfect until this happened,” he continued. “When all is said and done this is the fight business and injuries are sometimes an unfortunate part of it given the physical rigors us athletes put our bodies through. I will keep on evolving as a fighter while I’m on the sidelines and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
The UFC has yet to find (or at least announce) a replacement for Nelson against Magny. UFC Liverpool takes place May 27.
