UFC heavyweight reveals health crisis that forced him out of Poatan event: '12 hours in the bathroom'

Curtis Blaydes contracted norovirus hours before UFC 313, suffered severe dehydration and withdrew from the fight after alerting the organization

Sergei Pavlovich (right) knocked out Curtis Blaydes (left) at UFC Las Vegas 71. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

Sergei Pavlovich (dir.) knocked out Curtis blaydes (left) in UFC Las Vegas 71. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

Curtis blaydes canceled his fight in UFC 313, in March of this year, in Las Vegas (USA), after contracting norovirus hours before the event. The fighter described the devastating symptoms of the disease — including intense vomiting and diarrhea — and revealed that he had communicated his withdrawal to the organization 'while he was on the toilet'. The fight against the debutant Rizvan Kuniev was rescheduled for June 21 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

In the early hours of the morning before the event, Blaydes was awakened by stomach cramps and diarrhea. In an interview with Home of Fight, the American detailed the case. Norovirus, which spread across the US in the winter, causes severe dehydration.

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“I spent 12 hours in the bathroom. It’s not just diarrhea, it’s also nausea. You vomit and can’t hold down a drop of water. It wasn’t worth risking my ranking and legacy for a fight in that state,” said the American.

At around 2am, while still in the hotel bathroom, Blaydes sent a message to the UFC team and communicated his condition. At 13pm, with his body no longer responding to treatment, the withdrawal was confirmed.

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“I was f***ed. This is not good. I knew that even if I won, it wouldn’t be me. At heavyweight, one lucky break can ruin everything,” he explained.

The output of Curtis blaydes was the second last-minute loss on the card, after John Castaneda also get sick. The event, originally with 12 fights, continued with ten fights and was led by Alex Poatán, who lost the light heavyweight belt (up to 93kg) to Magomed Ankalayev.

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