
However, Blaydes had to step back from the match and was replaced by the formidable knockout artist Derrick Lewis, who boasts a record of 27 wins and 11 losses. The reason for Blaydes' withdrawal has not been publicly disclosed.
Blaydes took to Facebook to share a statement, expressing his regret and offering an apology to his fans. He revealed that he is grappling with multiple injuries sustained during his training camp, necessitating a significant period of rehabilitation. Recognizing the need for recovery, Blaydes has decided to take a break from training to focus solely on healing and recuperation.
“Injuries from camp weren’t healing at a fast enough pace for me to compete at the level required to be the best version of myself Nov. 4,” the 32-year-old wrote. “There’s a difference between being hurt and injured took me almost 3 months to see the difference. I’m going to take some time off from training and focus on rehabbing so I can come back fully confident in my athletic abilities. Apologies to everyone who was hyped up for this fight. I promise this decision wasn’t made in haste.”