No surgery necessary for Junior dos Santos' broken hand
Junior dos Santos' bad break could have been much worse. The former UFC heavyweight champion will not need surgery after fracturing his left hand and withdrawing from his May 31 fight against Stipe Miocic.
UFC Tonight's Ariel Helwani reported the news on Wednesday's edition. dos Santos first injured his hand last Thursday and then waited a day to see if the swelling would subside and he could resume training.
Unfortunately after the short waiting period, he could not do so, and after MRI results came back, doctors told him to immobilize his hand for four weeks or risk a more complex break. That effectively ruled him out of the TUF: Brazil 3 Finale in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The withdrawal came as a heartbreak for dos Santos, who is one of the few Brazilian stars who has yet to fight in his country under the UFC banner.
"Since I joined UFC, I've dreamed about fighting in Brazil," he wrote in a statement apologizing to fans and Miocic for pulling out of the fight.
dos Santos (16-3) was looking to rebound after his trilogy fight loss to Cain Velasquez last October. He is still ranked as the No. 2 contender in the division behind countryman Fabricio Werdum.
