Bethe
Correia’s swan song in the Ultimate Fighting Championship will
have to come at a later date.
The former bantamweight title challenger revealed via Instagram
that she recently required emergency surgery for appendicitis and
has been forced to withdraw from a proposed clash against Yanan Wu at
UFC on ABC 1 on Jan. 16. Correia had previously indicated that
the matchup with Wu would be her reitrement fight.
“God always knows what is best for us …I was training so hard for
this fight. However, in the middle of the night I started to feel
an unbearable pain. I was admitted to the hospital and I was
diagnosed with appendicitis,” Correia wrote. “The doctors advised
me and my family that it was a severe case and that I would require
an emergency surgery.
“I want to thank the UFC and Dana White for all the support over
the years. My last dance and my retirement fight will have to be
postponed for a little while. I cannot wait to put on amazing
performance for you guys.”
Correia last appeared at UFC on ESPN 14 on July 25, when she lost a
unanimous decision to Pannie
Kianzad. The 37-year-old Brazilian has been victorious in just
two of her last eight UFC bouts dating back to August 2015.
UFC on ABC 1 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and is
headlined by a featherweight clash between Max
Holloway and Calvin
Kattar. It is unclear if Wu will receive a replacement opponent
on the card.