Jimi Manuwa Releases Statement on Injury That Led to UFC Sao Paulo Withdrawal

Jimi Manuwa feels “gutted” that he won’t be able to compete at UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo this Saturday.

The British light heavyweight released a statement via Instagram on Monday revealing that he suffered a torn hamstring doing sprints shortly after arriving in Brazil. According to “Poster Boy,” the tear will require a minimum six-week recovery period.

“I'm truly gutted,” Manuwa wrote. “The day after I landed in Brazil I went for my last hard training session. During that session of sprints I tore my hamstring, and after getting it assessed in hospital, doctors diagnosed it as a severe tear greater than 50 [percent]. They told me it will be a minimum of [six] weeks recovery time.”

As a result of Manuwa’s injury, Eryk Anders stepped in to face Thiago Santos in the new UFC Fight Night 137 headliner. The event takes place at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo and will be televised on Fox Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

The card was originally expected to be headlined by a 205-pound clash between Manuwa and Glover Teixeira. After Teixeira pulled out, Santos, a natural middleweight, agreed to step in. Now “Marreta” is paired with an opponent who also normally competes at 185 pounds. However, given the short-notice nature of the bout, Santos vs. Anders will be contested at light heavyweight.

Manwua, meanwhile, was looking to snap a two-fight skid. The 38-year-old last appeared at UFC Fight Night 127 on March 18, when he dropped a unanimous verdict to Jan Blachowicz. Manuwa is 6-4 during his promotional tenure and 17-4 as a professional overall.

“I’ll be working hard every day to get back so I can continue to put on great fights for everyone to watch,” Manuwa wrote. “I was 100 percent ready and looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans in Sao Paulo and around the world . I made a lot of sacrifices and even missed my daughter's 10th birthday. I'm sorry Havana, I love you, Daddy is on his way home.

“I want to thank everyone of you for the love and support you have sent my way. Without all of you none of this is possible. I can't wait to come back and put on a show for you all.”

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I'm truly gutted. The day after I landed in Brazil I went for my last hard training session. During that session of sprints I tore my hamstring, and after getting it assessed in hospital, doctors diagnosed it as a severe tear greater than 50%. They told me it will be a minimum of 6 weeks recovery time. Ill be working hard everyday to get back so I can continue to put on great fights for everyone to watch. I was 100% ready and looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans in São Paulo and around the world . I made a lot of sacrifices and even missed my daughter's 10th birthday. I'm sorry Havana, I love you, Daddy is on his way home. I want to thank everyone of you for the love and support you have sent my way. Without all of you none of this is possible. I can't wait to come back and put on a show for you all. Lions eat first

A post shared by Jimi Manuwa (@pb1_) on Sep 18, 2018 at 7:14am PDT