Undefeated UFC heavyweight fighter Jake O'Brien has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming bout with Tom Murphy at UFC 72: "Victory" this Saturday because of a chronic spinal injury, according to FightNetwork.com.
No replacement has been named.
O'Brien was looking to continue his climb to the top of the division after an upset unanimous decision win over the experienced Heath Herring at UFC Fight Night 8 in January 2006.
The former Purdue University wrestler has two other wins inside the Octagon against Josh Shockman (unanimous decision) at UFC 65 and Kristof Midoux (technical knockout) at UFC Fight Night 6.
The report indicates that O'Brien has been dealing with this injury since his days as a Boilermaker.
At just 22 years old O'Brien seemingly has a bright future in the sport ahead. Hopefully, he can heal up and return to action as soon as possible.
Right now UFC.com has removed the O'Brien-Murphy bout from the fight card line up. We'll let you know if a replacement is plugged in or the show from Belfast, Ireland, goes on with just eight fights.
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