A top-flight Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight
prospect has just suffered an injury that will keep her out of
action for a long time.
On Thursday, Casey
O’Neill announced on Instagram that she
has suffered a completely torn ACL that will require surgery and a
lengthy recovery process. She was initially booked against Jessica Eye
at UFC 276,
but she has been forced out of this matchup due to this injury. It
is currently unclear if Eye will receive a replacement, or if the
promotion will book her on another card.
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Undefeated as a professional at 9-0, Australia’s O’Neill surged
into the promotion on the heels of five wins in the span of less
than 18 months. From there, she debuted against Shana
Dobson and knocked her out in the second round. A pair of
subsequent finishes over Lara
Procopio and Antonia Shevchenko – all three of those UFC
appearances coming in 2021 – she moved towards ranked competition
on the heels of those three stoppage wins. Taking on Roxanne
Modafferi in the latter’s retirement fight, she snagged a split
decision over the former title challenger to earn a shot at
Eye.
The full statement of “King Casey” on Instagram reads as
follows:
”Unfortunately I have to announce that I need to withdraw from
my upcoming fight on July 2 due to snapping my ACL last week in
training.
“I’ve spent the past 7 days trying to continue on but it’s just not
possible on a fully torn ACL. I will have surgery, recover and be
back better than ever before you know it.
“I’m so sad that I don’t get to perform for you guys, I’m so sad
that I don’t get to fight but I am excited to get healthy and
rebuild. Thank you to the UFC, Dana White, Mick Maynard, Heather
Linden, Dr. Tera Giroux [and the] UFC PI for always taking care of
me.
“I am 24 years old and young in this game. I promise you I will be
back better than before and the King is still coming for her crown.
Love you guys, thank you for the support.”
UFC 276, which does not currently have a headliner, will carry on
at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The highest-billed matchup of
the evening is a women’s flyweight affair between former
bantamweight queen Miesha Tate
and Lauren
Murphy. Other key fights on the card include a middleweight
scrap between Uriah Hall
and Andre Muniz,
as well as a 185-pound tilt pitting Brad
Tavares against Dricus Du
Plessis.