Serra Sidelined with Back Injury

From UFC.com

Serra Injured, Withdraws From UFC 79 Card

UFC President Dana White announced Thursday that Matt Serra will have to withdraw from the UFC 79 card on December 29th due to an injury sustained during training earlier this week.

The current UFC welterweight champion, who was scheduled to fight Matt Hughes on the year-end card, suffered a herniated disc in his lower back on Monday following a routine training session in his Long Island gym.

“This is devastating news because they were so looking forward to fighting each other," said White.
“Unfortunately injuries happen and I look forward to Serra recovering quickly, and to getting him back into the Octagon.”

Serra had just finished a Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling training session and was demonstrating a move when he fell to the floor in excruciating pain. Serra went to the hospital and underwent an MRI, which revealed the herniated disc in his lower back.

“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” said Serra. “I’ve never had a back injury before; I could hardly get off the MRI table. There is no way I can train through this, and I’m devastated, especially because this was such an important fight. I was looking forward to fighting Matt Hughes. All my training was going phenomenally until Monday – All I can do now is to get better and to fight again as soon as possible.”

Despite the disappointment of Serra-Hughes being scrapped, UFC 79 still features the long-awaited superfight between the two greatest 205-pound fighters of all-time, Chuck 'The Iceman' Liddell and Wanderlei 'THe Axe Murderer' Silva, as well as an intriguing bout between Lyoto Machida and PRIDE star Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, who will be making his UFC debut. Tickets are on sale now.