Aldo injury jeopardizes McGregor fight
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo suffered a rib injury in training Tuesday, jeopardizing a scheduled title defense against Conor McGregor.
The fight was supposed to serve as the main event of UFC 189 at MGM Grand on July 11.
Aldo fractured his rib during a sparring session in his native Brazil on Tuesday morning. He was taken to the hospital where doctors began treating him for a broken rib. Doctors estimate the recovery time as a minimum three to four weeks.
Aldo sports a record of 25-1 and 7-0 in the UFC. McGregor counters with a 17-2 mark and 5-0 UFC record.
The promotion for the bout, which included an international tour and elaborate commercial shoots, is believed to be among the most expensive in the organization’s history.
UFC president Dana White has repeatedly expressed confidence the fight would anchor one of the most successful pay-per-view broadcasts the company had ever done. White has said UFC 189 was on pace for 1 million pay-per-view buys, a mark reached less than 10 times in UFC history.
Welterweight champion Robbie Lawler will defend the belt against Rory MacDonald in a fight that will now likely be promoted to the main event.
The Sports Xchange contributed to this report. Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.
