UFC Vegas 33: Hall vs Strickland loses Its Co-Main Event as Doo Ho Choi Withdraws From His Fight

The UFC Vegas 33 event was dealt with a jolt as its co-main event fighter Doo Ho Choi withdrew from his fight against Danny Chavez. The featherweight fighter had to withdraw owing to an injury. Uriah Hall vs Sean Strickland fight headlines the event.

The Korean fighter took to Instagram and posted a long message written in Korean and in English. He said sorry to fans. He also detailed the reason for his withdrawal.

“First of all, I’m so sorry for the fans who are waiting for my fight because I couldn’t have a fight due to injury,” he said. “I’m in a fight business. That means an unexpected accident can happen at any time and I also think a fighter should take the fight even if he has a some injury because that is way it is.

“I injured my shoulder in the last sparring session on Friday night. It was very light and easy rolling but something bad unlucky thing happened.”

“It is not a huge injury, but definitely it isn’t something that can handle the fight. If I had more time for recover, I would push forward and take the fight, but our camp inevitable decided that two weeks were just too shorts to recover,” he added.

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‘The Korean Superboy’ then apologized to Chavez and said he must have prepared hard for this battle. He then assured his fans that he will be back soon in good condition and will fight Chavez immediately after his return.

Why was this match important for Doo Ho Choi?

Choi (14-4) desperately needed a win here. He didn’t compete in 2020 and has only competed in 3 matches since 2016. His last three matches had ended at a loss for him.

First, he fought Cub Swanson on December 10, 2016, at UFC 206. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. This match was an instant classic and also received Fight of the Night honor.

Choi then faced Jeremy Stephens on January 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. The duo received Fight of the Night honors.

After two consecutive losses, Choi faced Charles Jourdain on December 21, 2019, on UFC on ESPN+ 23. He almost got the win when he knocked Jourdain out but eventually lost the fight via TKO in the second round.

With this withdrawal, Choi not only missed a fight but also lost an opportunity to claim his lost ground. It will be interesting to see when he returns.

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