Garbrandt Pulls Out Of Assuncao Fight
UFC Columbus has taken a big blow as Cody Garbrandt will no longer be competing on the card.
Garbrandt was originally scheduled to face Raphael Assuncao in a pivotal bantamweight encounter in the co-main event of the show taking place March 28.
However, he told ESPN on Thursday that he has been hospitalized in New Jersey since last weekend due to kidney issues. He will be on his way to Cleveland to see a specialist.
“I honestly don’t know what it is,” Garbrandt 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.”
Garbrandt hopes to return to action as soon as possible. “No Love” is currently 0-3 and the fight against Assuncao was highly important to him not only because it would have been in his home state, but to also get a winning run kickstarted.
“This was such an important fight for me, not only fighting in my home state but getting my comeback started,” Garbrandt added. “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.”
One consolation for Garbrandt is UFC Columbus won’t be taking place in his home state anymore. With the coronavirus outbreak, it is now reportedly moving to the new UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas in an event which will likely be behind closed doors.
