Cody Garbrandt has dropped out of his upcoming bantamweight fight against Raphael Assuncao at UFC Columbus.
After almost a year of layoff, the former bantamweight champion is scheduled to make an Octagon return later this month in what could be his homecoming fight in Ohio.
‘No Love’ is looking to get back in the win column, following three straight knockouts including a pair of losses to former teammate TJ Dillashaw and a defeat to Pedro Munhoz in his most recent UFC bout.
Garbrandt’s withdrawal from the fight card is another blow to the promotion as it decided to move the venue to Las Vegas after Ohio officials imposed a ban to large gatherings including sporting events amid the soaring coronavirus scare.
Initial reports revealed that the American fighter was hospitalized because of kidney issues, reigniting talks about the dangers of weight cutting.
Rough Training
In a recent interview with ESPN, Garbrandt provided details on his current health struggles, saying he started pissing blood this past weekend.
“I honestly don’t know what it is,” he said.
“A month ago, I had cellulitis in my shin. I went to the hospital and got that cleared with antibiotics. I got back into training, but then last Friday, the lymph nodes in my groin were inflamed and I didn’t feel well.”
“I thought it was just due to rough training.”
“On Saturday, I had flu-like symptoms. The lymph nodes were so inflamed I couldn’t walk.”
“I took an Uber to the hospital and did a bunch of tests on my blood, kidneys, CAT scan. The doctor sent me home and 20 minutes later I felt even worse and started pissing blood.”
He was readmitted to the hospital on Sunday and is now on his way to Cleveland for further evaluation.
Important Fight
‘No Love’ is not happy with the recent turn of events as he missed the opportunity to fight in front of his home fans in Ohio, which also serves as the start of his journey back to title-contention.
“This was such an important fight for me, not only fighting in my home state but getting my comeback started,” he said.
The timeline for his UFC return is still not yet determined but he is hoping he could make a comeback as soon as possible.
“I need to focus on my health right now, but I’m not ruling out a quick turnaround. I’ll be trying to get back as fast as I can.”
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Cody Garbrandt and Raphael Assuncao)