The career of MMA veteran David Michaud is in jeopardy after a congenital heart condition diagnosis forced him out of a fight with Rory MacDonald in the opening round of the PFL Welterweight tournament.
Michaud was set to face MacDonald at PFL 2 on April 29th. ‘Bulldawg’ revealed news of his withdrawal on Twitter, after doctors discovered a congenital heart condition that could prove fatal if he is to fight again.
So this is gonna be a tough post. After multiple tests on my heart including a Cardiac MRI and talking with multiple Cardiologists, I have been informed that I got a bad ticker. I have a Congenital bicuspid aortic valve with dilated aortic root. Unfortunately I was born with this
— David Michaud (@bulldawg_170) April 8, 2021
“So this is gonna be a tough post. After multiple tests on my heart including a Cardiac MRI and talking with multiple Cardiologists, I have been informed that I got a bad ticker,” Michaud wrote. “I have a Congenital bicuspid aortic valve with dilated aortic root.
Michaud told MMA Fighting he became aware of the issue after abnormal EKG scans during his pre-fight medical.
“Unfortunately I was born with this, because of the dilation of the aorta, fighting puts me at risk for an aortic dissection — a tear in the aorta,” Michaud continued. “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.”
Michaud, 32, has been fighting for over a decade amassing a record of 18-6. He has fought for several different promotions during his career such as the UFC, Bellator and most recently PFL.
It’s unclear whether MacDonald, who was set to make his PFL debut, will remain on the April 29th card.
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