Yahoo Sports UFC Sakatoon Injury Update: Charles Oliveira Suffered a Tear in His Esophagus
The UFC Fight Night 74 main event on Sunday night was supposed to be one of the more exciting featherweight match-ups in recent memory. But nearly as soon as the fight started, it was over, the flames of excitement doused by injury.
Max Holloway walked away with a TKO victory over Charles Oliveira in just one minute and thirty-nine seconds, but it left a sour taste in everyone's mouth since the fight had to be stopped due to an Oliveira injury. Though he initially celebrated, caught up in the heat of the fight, Holloway's demeanor quickly shifted to concern when he noticed that Oliveira was still laying flat on his back several minutes after the conclusion of the fight.
Following a failed takedown attempt, Oliveira initially reached for his left shoulder and neck area before crumbling to the canvas. It was unclear immediately after the fight what the injury was.
“Charles was immediately transported to the hospital. He was alert. He was able to move all his extremities,” said Tom Wright, UFC Director of Operations in Canada, at the post-fight press conference.
In a Monday morning update, however, UFC officials revealed that Oliveira suffered a micro-tear in his esophagus. He is likely to remain in the hospital until at least Tuesday. Without more detail on the injury, it's impossible to speculate on the prognosis for Oliveira's recovery.
The fight started with both men firing on the feet, but Oliveira soon shot for a takedown and Holloway used his underhooks to turn the Brazilian on their way to the canvas. Knowing he didn’t want to fight inside of Oliveira’s guard, Holloway stood and backed away, forcing the fight back to the feet.
RELATED VIDEO > Highlights: Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira
Before things could start up again, Oliveira put his right hand to his left shoulder and then stuck out his left hand to ward Holloway off, as the Hawaiian began to engage again. Oliveira then slouched against the fence and down to the canvas, laying flat on his back as referee Herb Dean waved off the fight.
Holloway was all-class following the fight, as the first words of his post-fight interview were, “Everybody, send your prayers to Charles. This is how we make our living. All my prayers to Charles.”
