Just a day before UFC 155, veteran commentator Mike Goldberg was forced from contributing to the event. Initial reports cited “illness” which was followed by a correction from Dana White that Goldie was “taking some time off.” Even days after the event, White responded to questions about Goldberg with a concise “Goldie’s out for a while and I don’t know when he’ll be back” followed by a stiff “Next question.”
Late Friday night, MMA Fighting got word from the man himself:
“Those rumors out there are not true. I’m dealing with a complicated health issue but feeling better and hoping to be back to 100 percent by Jan. 26 (UFC on FOX 6 in Chicago). See you soon.”
Ariel Helweni followed up with a more detailed description of the health issues Goldberg may be facing:
However, according to multiple sources close to Goldberg, who all asked to remain anonymous, the broadcaster suffered from a severe upper respiratory infection in October. The already-asthmatic Goldberg was then treated with large doses of medication to open the airway and treat the infection. Goldberg’s doctor later confirmed that the medication taken to treat the infection in combination with his normal asthma medication caused severe side effects that affected his ability to work, which according to the same sources, was the reason he missed UFC 155.
Goldberg is currently being treated to get his health back on track and is approaching a full recovery.
The conditions explained by Helwani come in stark contrast to the rumors that flew around the internet almost immediately after the announcement of Goldberg’s absence. As reported by Terez Owens, the rumors indicated that Goldberg was struggling with an addiction to Adderal and had been checked into rehab.
Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow as we’ll report any new information on Goldberg’s condition and return as soon as we can.
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