It was less than 24 hours ago when rumor started leaking out that Anthony Pettis was injured. Asked about it, UFC president Dana White told FOX Sports on Saturday night that Pettis had seen a doctor recently but was still going to fight Josh Thomson “for sure.”
So much for a sure thing.
Pettis has now been ruled out due to the same knee injury, scratching the UFC lightweight title fight from the Dec. 14 UFC on FOX card. In its place, Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez II will serve as the night’s main event.
The news was broken on Sunday’s edition of FOX Sports Live.
Johnson-Benavidez II was originally set to go down on Nov. 30 from Las Vegas.
This is the second time in 2013 that the dynamic Pettis has been forced out of a major fight due to an injury. The first came over the summer, when more knee woes caused him to withdraw from an anticipated UFC featherweight championship match against Jose Aldo.
Instead, he went on to fight lightweight champion Benson Henderson, defeating him via first-round armbar. The December bout was scheduled to be his first title defense.
UFC officials told FOX Sports it was not immediately clear whether Josh Thomson or original top contender T.J. Grant will receive the first crack at Pettis when he returns. Grant has been recovering from concussion-related symptoms, and his return timetable has not yet been publicly disclosed.
