Sometimes, a rising fighter yearns for chances but does not get them. There’s another time when a prominent legacy fighter gets callouts but does not prefer going down rankings. Yet, there are those times when a fighter can do everything right and still cannot catch a break. Mike Davis would be a poster child of that right now.
When UFC Fight Night: Barber vs. Namajunas rolled in, he was to be part of the main card. The 31-year-old was to meet Drew Dober on July 13 at Ball Arena at the UFC Denver Fight Night event. However, Mike ‘Beast Boy’ Davis incurred a beastly bicep tear in training! Now, he is out of action for the foreseeable future. To express his angst at the string of bad luck, he took to IG:
Completely tore my bicep during my sparring rounds on Tuesday. June 11th. Resulting in 3.5in retraction in my bicep. Yes, I need surgery. They have to reattach the tendon by drilling it back into the bone.
Mike Davis via IG (@mikedavismma)
Davis (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) recently rebounded with a win at UFC Vegas 88. He stylistically submitted Israel’s Natan Levy in the second round. Before that, he was yet again on an 18-month sabbatical (due to injury) back in October 2022. The Team Fusion X-Cel MMA fighter wanted to go on a five-fight winning streak this July. A devastated Davis posted a reel of the exact moment of injury.
When Maycee Barber and ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas hash out their grudge, UFC Denver will thus be without Davis. By the very audible and harrowing tear, Davis might just need another 18-month layoff. It’s unclear if Dober will remain on the map as a main card top bill. Such incidents only go to show why athletes put in the effort they do into prep their bodies.
UFC: Unfortunate Fight Cancelations – A Thread
There’s always the risk of physicality in combat sports. Even premium clinchers can return with a bloody face. There are also accidents, pokes, separations, and so on that can happen. But a preemptive injury is disheartening. Mike Davis would have had a chance at a promising streak at UFC Denver. Here’s grouping some unforeseen injuries that ended/suspended UFC events.
Many, like Mike Davis, have been subject to injuries in/before fights (Source: UFC.go.com/X/agfight.com)When the words injury or “tear” are upfront, all alarms are rung due to Jon Jones. Even a prominent all-around athlete like him suffered a pectoral tendon tear before UFC 295 Fight Week. There’s the more recent last-minute cancelation of Conor McGregor at UFC 303’s PPV Event. Jamahal Hill also claimed injuries due to a sprained ACL, a Baker’s Cyst, and two meniscus tears as part of the massive overhaul.
Anderson Silva posted a message to Chris Weidman after Weidman severely injured his leg at #UFC261
-Advertisement-Weidman was Silva’s opponent seven years ago at UFC 168 when Silva suffered a similar-looking injury. pic.twitter.com/hqtxTsnOep
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 25, 2021
Hill was yet another case of a second consecutive injury; he incurred a ruptured Achilles during UFC 290 Fight Week. Anderson Silva’s leg break leg vs. Chris Weidman at UFC 168 was grotesque and high-profile. Weidman and later McGregor suffered the same. Charles Oliveira’s compound neck injury at UFC Fight Night 74 was another. ‘Do Bronx’ also suffered a cut before UFC 294.
There’s Tyron Woodley suffering broken ribs vs. Colby Covington. Brian Ortega’s first running with Yair Rodriguez during UFC on ABC 3 ended unceremoniously. ‘T-City’ did manage to run that back. Here’s hoping Davis and others get their opportune moment as well.
