Amateur MMA bout at The Orleans canceled due to ‘medical situation’
The main event of the Tuff-N-Uff amateur mixed martial arts card at The Orleans was canceled on Friday night due to what was announced as a “medical situation.”
Las Vegan Carlos Garcia, who held the Tuff-N-Uff 135-pound title, passed out minutes before he was set to begin his walk to the cage to fight Ralphy Pacheco.
Garcia fell face first to the floor backstage. He was sitting up with his back to a wall moments later and had no recollection of what had happened.
He insisted to his coaches that he was able to get up and wanted to fight. They quickly shot down the request and told him the fight was off.
Officials from both the organization and athletic commission also informed Garcia they would not let him fight.
Sources close to the fighter cited dehydration as the cause of the incident. They dismissed the possibility of nerves as Garcia has fought several times in the past with no issue. His trainers also believed his weight cut was not particularly strenuous.
Garcia, 20, has been training in MMA for five years. He took in fluids under supervision of the medical staff and was not transported to the hospital.
Pacheco left the arena with the belt.
