It’s no secret that Mickey Gall’s UFC stardom stems from him defeating CM Punk on the WWE legend’s Octagon debut at UFC 203. A decade later, the 34-year-old is still reaping the benefits of that victory. The promotion booked him to face Sedriques Dumas at UFC Vegas 121 this weekend. However, Gall’s comeback was derailed abruptly after he failed to secure medical clearance.

Through Instagram, Gall announced that the UFC had deemed him medically ineligible to compete in Vegas following a brief call that morning.

“I have been pulled from this fight by the UFC,” Gall said on Instagram. “I was contacted this morning. Something came back on my medicals that is making me ineligible via a simple procedure. I will be back. It sucks. I have overcome a lot to be here, and it’s not lost on me that I’ve done a lot of losing in there.” 

“I wanted to give my friends, my family, and my fans something to cheer about, and I’ve worked really hard for that. Unfortunately, that’s not going to be able to happen this weekend. But once I get this situated and straightened out, I will be back.”

This marks the first time Mickey Gall has been pulled from a fight by the UFC before an event. As of now, the specifics of Gall’s condition that prompted the promotion to remove him from the bout remain unclear. However, according to his admission, the issue is resolvable by maintaining communication with the athletic commission.

Still, this isn’t the first time the 34-year-old has faced serious medical issues ahead of an important fight. Gall has dealt with similar setbacks multiple times throughout his career.  

Back in 2019, the veteran cleared his pre-fight medical tests without any issues ahead of his UFC 235 fight vs. Diego Sanchez. However, Gall famously fainted before stepping to the weigh-ins. Gall hid the incident from the promotion that allowed him to compete. As a result, Sanchez delivered a brutal second-round TKO against him.

Later, medical reports revealed that he had suffered kidney failure as a result of his drastic weight cut. The athletic commission subsequently placed him under strict medical suspension.  

Following this, Gall suffered an agonizing injury to his left leg ahead of his UFC 302 comeback in 2024. At one point, the UFC welterweight couldn’t move his leg and described the ordeal as “scary” during a Q&A session with the UFC. 

For the Jersey native, the UFC pulling him from an important fight must be particularly difficult. He’s currently riding a four-fight losing streak and hasn’t won a bout since 2021. However, the promotion has previously removed fighters from events because of medical issues.

In 2021, the promotion removed Askar Askar from its roster just before his debut against Cody Stamann due to unresolved medical clearance issues. Plus, previously undefeated fighter Josiah Harrell was also pulled from his debut against former champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 290 because the doctors diagnosed him with a serious case of Moyamoya disease.

Both fighters eventually returned and made their UFC debuts. In fact, Harrell is scheduled to fight Elves Brener at UFC Vegas 121, the same event where Gall was about to compete.   

Mickey Gall could’ve been a great addition to the UFC’s return to the Apex this week. However, his withdrawal from the event ultimately turned into a blessing in disguise because the promotion found a solid replacement for his opponent. 

UFC Vegas 121 sees cop vs. criminal fight after Mickey Gall’s withdrawal  

After the UFC pulled Mickey Gall from the Fight Night event, U.S. cop Luiz Hernandez answered the promotion’s call to face Sedriques Dumas on just two days’ notice. In doing so, he might have created one of the most compelling storylines of the year.

Hernandez manages two distinct careers. By day, he serves as a deputy with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. By night, he steps into the cage to punch opponents in the face. In fact, he recently won a UFC contract after beating Hugo Guillon on Dana White’s Contender Series 2026.

On the other hand, Sedriques Dumas has a lengthy criminal record. Dumas has been arrested 14 times on charges including domestic battery, driving with a suspended license, and a bunch of other issues. However, the most notorious incident came last year when the UFC fighter allegedly invaded his ex-girlfriend’s home.

With that, UFC Vegas 121 will feature a unique cop-versus-convicted-criminal storyline inside the cage, all thanks to Mickey Gall’s injury.

Though there’s plenty to unfold, Mickey Gall is expected to resolve his medical issues and continue his UFC journey soon.