A lumbar hernia is to blame for knocking a lightweight fight from the UFC’s return to Brazil next month.
That’s the diagnosis for Rony Jason (13-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC), and the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) has ruled him out of his UFC Fight Night 29 bout against Jeremy Stephens (21-9 MMA, 8-8 UFC) next month.
According to CABMMA, an MRI requested by CABMMA’s doctor revealed the injury and Jason’s participation in the event was shut down. A time table for his return is not yet known.
UFC officials have not yet announced his injury, or whether a replacement for Stephens will be sought for the card.
UFC Fight Night 29 takes place Oct. 9 at Jose Correa Arena in Barueri, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The bulk of the card, including a welterweight headliner between Jake Shields and Demian Maia, airs on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on Facebook.
Jason, a 29-year-old Brazilian, was the featherweight winner of the debut season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.” He won that season’s tournament with a UFC 147 victory over Godofredo Pepey and has since registered two more official wins after earning stoppage victories over Mike Wilkinson and Sam Sicilia.
Stephens was looking to return after a win in his featherweight debut in May, scoring a decision victory over Estevan Payan at UFC 160. That snapped a three-fight losing skid for “Lil’ Heathen,” who had fallen short against Yves Edwards, Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis.
With the change, the UFC Fight Night 29 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1, 7 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 5 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4 p.m. ET)
For more on UFC Fight Night 29, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Rony Jason)
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