UFC middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez finally opened up after withdrawing from his main event bout with Reinier de Ridder.
Hernandez was set to face de Ridder at UFC Vancouver, but he pulled out after suffering an injury. The nature of the injury remains unknown, and he has yet to make his return to the octagon. However, Hernandez recently released an Instagram post explaining his withdrawal and sharing when he hopes to make a comeback.
“As you’ve all probably seen, unfortunately, I’ve had to pull out of my upcoming fight due to injury. I want to sincerely apologize to the UFC, to my opponent [de Ridder], and to everyone who was looking forward to this matchup.
“ I also want to thank [Allen] for stepping up, it means a lot. To my fans, thank you for always tuning in, supporting me, and riding with me through everything.
“Right now, my focus is on getting healthy so I can come back stronger than ever. When I return, I’ll be ready to make a statement.”
For now, the fighter is yet to provide a timetable for his return.
The setback comes at a difficult time for Hernandez (15-2), who has risen as a top contender in the middleweight division with eight consecutive wins. He defeated Allen this past January, then scored a fourth-round submission over Roman Dolidze in August.
A strong performance against de Ridder might have positioned Hernandez for a potential title shot against champion Khamzat Chimaev, with Nassourdine Imavov currently leading the race after defeating Caio Borralho at UFC Paris.
