PFL is getting ready to kick things off this month. After having 2020 off due to the pandemic, the Pro Fight League has been gearing up for a major 2021 season. One of the division’s generating the most buzz has been the welterweight division.
The welterweight season is set to kick off on April 29th and PFL was putting forth a phenomenal main event to kick things off. One of the big storylines in 2020 was the PFL signing of former UFC and Bellator fighter, Rory MacDonald (21-6-1).
MacDonald didn’t get to compete last year, but many have been anxious to see him back. PFL was throwing a great fight at him right away by having him take on the 2019 runner-up in David Michaud (18-6).
However, we now know that the fight is not taking place. It’s not just that the fight isn’t taking place, but David Michaud might never compete in PFL and mixed martial arts ever again.
Today, Michaud took to Twitter to announce that he wouldn’t be competing at PFL‘s event on April 29th due to a heart condition. The heart condition is severe enough where Michaud may never compete again.
because of the dilation of the aorta, fighting puts me at risk for an aortic dissection — a tear in the aorta. That would be fatal under almost all circumstances. For this reason I will not be able to fight Rory Macdonald on April 29th, and unless anything changes, ever again.
— David Michaud (@bulldawg_170) April 8, 2021
PFL’s Next Steps
David Michaud had a three-fight run in the UFC back in 2014/2015. However, it was his run in PFL that saw him really find himself in the sport of mixed martial arts.
When Michaud made his debut in the 2019 season, he was finished in the first 20 seconds. While it was certainly not the way he wanted to start his PFL journey, Michaud didn’t give up.
He went on to win three consecutive fights. That landed him with a shot at Ray Cooper III and one million dollars in the PFL finals. Ultimately, Michaud came up short and Cooper got the second round TKO win.
However, Michaud had been working extremely hard and wanted to show off his skills this season. PFL gave him the biggest fight possible, but due to this condition, we may never see him compete again.
Your heart has to feel for Michaud. At this time, there is no word from PFL on what they are planning on doing. They will likely add another welterweight to their season, but we could see a shifting in the opening matchups to keep MacDonald in the main event slot on April 29th.