Felice Herrig announces she has torn ACL, withdraws from UFC 238
Felice Herrig won’t be fighting in her backyard of Chicago at UFC 238 due to unfortunate injury news. The top-15 ranked strawweight who resides in Crystal Lake, Illinois announced in an Instagram video that she has suffered a torn ACL which will force her to withdraw from her UFC 238 scheduled fight against Yan Xiaonan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw5SgdTA9r0/
Herrig would announce in the video that she will undergo surgery for the injury which will lead her to be out “a while” while promising that she’ll be back when she’s fully recovered.
“Unfortunately, Friday I tore my ACL and I do need surgery, which means that I will not be fighting on UFC Chicago, which is a bummer, for sure. So I just want to say I’m sorry to the fans, to the UFC and most definitely my opponent. I hope that she gets a replacement. There’s still enough time.
As for me, what can you do? All I can do is move forward and stay positive and work on my recovery and come back stronger than ever. In the meantime, I hope that everybody sends me warm wishes and hugs and virtual kisses and prayers. Just know that I’ll be back.” (Transcribed via ESPN)
According to Marc Raimondi of ESPN, the UFC is expected to find a replacement for Herrig, and Xiaonan Yan could know her new opponent relatively quickly.
Currently on a two-fight losing skid, Herrig had been on a four-fight winning streak but has dropped two straight decisions to Karolina Kowalkiewicz and most recently, Michelle Waterson at UFC 229 back in October.
As for Herrig’s opponent, Xiaonan Yan, she’s currently 10-1 in her professional MMA career and is 3-0 since joining the UFC with her most recent win coming over Syuri Kondo at UFC Fight Night 141 back in November of 2018.
UFC 238 goes down on June 8, 2019 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois and will feature two title fights as Valentina Shevchenko defends her flyweight title against Jessica Eye and Henry Cejudo will fight Marlon Moraes for the vacant bantamweight title.
