Melvin Guillard's Bellator debut was spoiled Friday, as he dropped a split decision to Brandon Girtz, but the 32-year-old veteran has even bigger issues to worry about in the form of a hand injury.
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Guillard to Undergo Surgery to Repair Broken Hand
Saturday, Aug. 29
Guillard entered Friday's lightweight bout as the favorite, and while Girtz was more than deserving of being awarded the upset win, he was aided by Guillard suffering a significant injury.
As seen in this Instagram photo from Guillard's coach, Din Thomas of American Top Team, the New Orleans native suffered severe swelling in his hand after breaking it:
According to Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie.com, Thomas revealed that Guillard "shattered" his right hand early in the second round of Friday's bout. That resulted in a cast being applied to his hand, and he is currently scheduled to undergo surgery soon.
Guillard made a late run in the third round and nearly pulled out a miraculous victory despite the broken hand, but his struggles in the first two rounds resulted in Girtz being named the victor.
With the defeat, the former UFC star fell to 32-15-2 as a professional. The loss also likely damaged his chances of challenging Will Brooks for the Bellator lightweight title in the near future.
While that is certainly disappointing for Guillard and his fans, his current focus must be on healing his hand so he can get back in the Octagon regardless of his next opponent.
It is possible that many are down on Guillard currently after he disappointed in what was supposed to be an emphatic debut; however, losing in part because of bad luck and having to battle back from an injury could put a massive chip on his shoulder.
If he uses the injury as fuel rather than getting down on himself, Guillard could be an even more dangerous force when he ultimately returns.
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