Bellator denies reports about champ Attila Vegh, releases medical report

As the story goes, Bellator light-heavyweight champion Attila Vegh wasn’t actually injured and instead was told to sit on the sidelines so the organization could book an interim title fight between Muhammed Lawal and Emanuel Newton for its pay-per-view debut on Nov. 2.

However, the problem, according to Bellator officials, is that the report is inaccurate. And they today released part of Vegh’s medical report to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in hopes of proving it (see the document).

Bellator officials didn’t immediately respond to a query as to whether Vegh granted permission for the organization to release the document.

The story first popped up Saturday afternoon following an initial report, video interview and translation from Polish site mmarocks.pl. However, Bellator officials deny the veracity of the report. They also claim Vegh said the translations “were not translated correctly and were not accurate.”

As today’s statement, sent by Bellator Director of Public Relations Anthony Mazzuca, read:

Numerous websites yesterday posted a story regarding Attila Vegh and statements he allegedly made to a reporter while in Poland. The interview was done in Slovakian, through a reporter speaking Polish, and a number of U.S. websites published the story with inaccurate and misleading information.

Please see the attached medical report to this email, a doctor’s report provided to Bellator by Attila’s doctor detailing his injury and instructing him to do nothing for two months.

Additionally, Attila has confirmed that his statements were not translated correctly and were not accurate. Attila was fully aware that Bellator made numerous attempts to schedule his world title defense vs. Emmanuel Newton, and that his injury prevented that bout from occurring and that Bellator was going to schedule an interim world title fight because of the delays.

Attila will be facing the winner of the Newton vs. Mo Interim world title fight in early 2014.

However, Wojslaw Rysiewski, editor of mmarocks.pl, stands by the report and translations.

“Attila Vegh is translated correctly, anyone who speaks Polish or Slovakian can attest he says he’s not injured,” he tweeted after our initial report. “Also the entire Nastula Team and reporters saw him train and spar 100% with some of the best Polish fighters last week.

“Not to mention the medical report released by Bellator is from April. Are the guys clueless or what?”

Regardless Lawal (11-2 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) vs. Newton (21-7-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) is one of three title fights booked for Bellator 106, which takes place Long Beach Arena in California with a Quinton Jackson vs. Tito Ortiz headliner.

“King Mo” has won back-to-back fights since his shocking knockout loss to heavy underdog Newton in Bellator’s Season 8 light-heavyweight tournament semifinals earlier this year. Newton went on to win the tournament and was supposed to be next in line for Vegh, though Lawal could take his place if victorious on Nov. 2.

For more on “Bellator 106: Rampage vs. Tito,” stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Attila Vegh)

(UPDATED at 4:50 p.m. ET on Sept. 1, 2013, with tweets from Rysiewski, as well as an update on the release of the medical record.)