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Diaz announced the news via Instagram on Monday. The 34-year-old Californian was slated to face Ateba Abega Gautier in a middleweight bout on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’s unclear if Gautier will remain on the card against a replacement opponent.
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Diaz Apologizes to UFC, Opponent
“Hey everyone, I have some really tough news to share,” Diaz wrote. “After careful consideration and talking with my team and medical professionals, I’ve had to make the heartbreaking decision to pull out of my fight this week. This isn’t a choice I ever thought I’d have to make, but my health and safety have to come first. I truly appreciate all your support and understanding during this time, and I promise to come back stronger soon. I would like to apologize to the UFC and also to my opponent. This decision was a hard one.
“But through it all, I trust God’s plan. I believe everything happens for a reason, even when I can’t see it yet. This is just another test, another chapter, and I promise you I will get back up. I’m going to keep fighting, keep believing, and keep pushing forward. Thank you to everyone who continues to ride with me. Your support means more than you know. This one hurts I’m truly heartbroken.”
A former Bellator and Legacy Fighting Alliance competitor, Diaz is 1-1 in UFC competition. After suffering a first-round TKO loss to Mingyang Zhang in his debut, “Ozzy” outpointed Djorden Santos in his most recent outing at UFC 313 this past March.
Cameroon’s Gautier has emerged as a prospect to watch after scoring first-round finishes of Jose Medina and Robert Valentin in his first two Octagon appearances. The 23-year-old Manchester Top Team representative has finished his last seven opponents via KO or TKO.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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