Mike Swick was set to fight for the first time in nearly a year. Instead, after losing his opponent, he'll wait some more. Swick was scheduled to face David Mitchell at the UFC's Fight Night 23 "Fight for the Troops" card at Fort Hood, Texas, on Jan. 22. But according to his Facebook page, when Mitchell had to pull out of the fight with an injury it forced Swick to take a look at his own medical situation. The decision was made to pull off the card, as well, rather than wait for a replacement opponent.
Swick last fought at UFC 109 in February, where he suffered a submission loss to Paulo Thiago. In September, Swick went public with word of a stomach condition that has kept him sidelined since.
"Not fighting on January 22nd," Swick posted on his Facebook page. "I got the call yesterday that David Mitchell backed out due to an injury and considering my current situation we opted to put off the fight all together."
Swick (14-4, 9-3 UFC) said his stomach ailment has still been an issue for him, and the new layoff will allow him to continue healing.
"I have been dealing with with my esophageal condition this whole camp and its taken a toll on my body," Swick said. "I will need more time to seek better treatment to ensure I can compete at this level. ... Its just a really bad condition to have as a pro athlete. I got into Martial Arts to push myself & compete w/ the best fighters & athletes in the world. To give it my all, entertain & inspire others to chase their dreams. At this point I am not near at my best & dont wanna take a fight just for a paycheck when I cannot deliver what Ive worked hard on for 23 years."
The Swick-Mitchell fight was scheduled for the preliminary card of the event, which will air live on Spike TV as a benefit for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The card will be headlined by a lightweight bout between Evan Dunham and Melvin Guillard and a co-main event between heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Tim Hague.
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