Yahoo Sports Stefan Struve Details Injury That Derailed Junior dos Santos Fight
Stefan Struve on Thursday confirmed the shoulder injury that knocked him out of a bout with Junior dos Santos, and detailed the expectations for his recovery.
Struve and dos Santos were supposed to rematch in a UFC Fight Night headlining bout on Feb. 19 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. A shoulder injury derailed those plans.
“Bad news folks. Unfortunately, I won't be able to fight in Halifax February 19, I'll be undergoing surgery to fix a torn labrum in my left shoulder (Friday) afternoon,” Struve wrote on Instagram.
“Doctor said I will be on the sideline about 4 months, and of course I'm gonna be doing my best to make it back asap.”
Struve and dos Santos first fought at UFC 95 in 2009, when dos Santos stopped Struve 54 seconds into the fight. Much has happened since that fight, including dos Santos winning the heavyweight title and Struve becoming a top contender.
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Although dos Santos doesn't currently hold the belt, Struve was looking forward to the rematch.
“I apologize to the fans, especially the people who bought tix for the fight in Halifax, and of course the person I was scheduled to fight, Junior dos Santos. It's the very first time I have to pull out of a fight because of an injury and it hurts my heart to do it.”
As of the time of publication, UFC officials had not announced a replacement for Struve.
A photo posted by Stefan Struve (@stefan_struve) on Jan 12, 2017 at 3:37pm PST
