Disaster struck Bellator at the worst possible time on Saturday, as a last-minute hospitalization forced Matt Mitrione to withdraw from his main event contest against Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 172, leaving the promotion’s tentpole event without its featured attraction just hours before the doors opened at San Jose’s SAP Center.
An ill-timed kidney stone was ultimately the culprit for Mitrione, and on Monday, the heavyweight veteran expressed immense regret for how everything played out.
“It’s really difficult, man,” Mitrione explained on The MMA Hour. “I’m an athlete, I’ve relied on my body my entire life, and for something like this to happen at literally the worst possible time, just hurts my heart.