Elbow Injury Forces Josh Burkman Out of WSOF 11 Rubber Match with Jon Fitch

An elbow injury has forced Josh Burkman to bow out of WSOF 11. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Burkman announced the news via Twitter, citing a hyper extended elbow that includes ligament damage and a bone bruise. The welterweight said that he expects a four-to-six week recovery period. Sherdog.com confirmed the injury with a WSOF official. A replacement opponent for Fitch has not yet been found.

WSOF 11 takes place at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla., on July 5 and is headlined by a lightweight title tilt between Justin Gaethje and Nick Newell. The event marks the promotion’s NBC debut, with the main card beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT so as not to conflict with UFC 175.

Burkman is 4-1 under the WSOF banner, including triumphs over Gerald Harris, Aaron Simpson and Tyler Stinson. He avenged a 2006 UFC loss to Fitchlast year, when he submitted the American Kickboxing Academy standout in 41 seconds at WSOF 3.