‘I Had A Labyrinthitis Crisis!’

Patricky Freire | Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images

Patricky Freire was not medically cleared for Bellator 249 on Oct. 15, 2020. What the heck happened?

Bellator 249: “Cyborg vs. Blencowe” took place last week (Thurs., Oct. 15, 2020) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. In her first Featherweight title defense, Cris Cyborg (23-2, 1 NC) smashed her way through Arlene Blencowe (13-8), finishing her with a rear-naked choke at 2:36 of round two (the first submission of her storied career).

Long-time Bellator MMA veteran Patricky Freire (23-9) was expected to take his first fight of 2020. He hasn’t lost a Bellator fight in more than three years and only took one “L” in Japan in a RIZIN tournament, but he had both honor and ranking to defend against promotional newcomer and LFA champion Jaleel Willis (13-2). “Pitbull” sounded pumped up for the challenge in his media day interview:

Inexplicably, the fight was removed from Thursday’s card and Steve Mowry vs. Shawn Teed was elevated from the “Prelims” undercard to the CBS Sports Network broadcast. No one during the live broadcast offered any clarification, but via his Instagram account, Freire decided to clear the matter up.

Was it because his opponent missed weight? No …

For those wondering Healthline defines labyrinthitis as follows.

“Labyrinthitis is an inner ear disorder. The two vestibular nerves in your inner ear send your brain information about your spatial navigation and balance control. When one of these nerves becomes inflamed, it creates a condition known as labyrinthitis. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, and loss of hearing.”

Typically, the disorder can be caused by a viral infection, though not necessarily the one everyone is worried about in 2020. Treatment is (UNsurprisingly) rest and antibiotics. Hopefully, Bellator MMA can reschedule the fight for a future date to be determined.

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