Recently, former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Joe Riggs—who has spent the last few years fighting for MMA organizations like Strikeforce and Bellator—revealed that he was going to return to the UFC for the first time since 2006. He also revealed that he had agreed to take on Paulo Thiago at a UFC Fight Night event on September 13 in Brazil. But late yesterday, the UFC announced that Riggs will not be fighting Thiago as planned anymore. Reason being, Riggs accidentally shot himself on Monday while cleaning a firearm at his home in Arizona.
"We were made aware that newly-signed UFC competitor Joe Riggs was involved in an unfortunate accident," the UFC said in a statement. "While cleaning his permitted firearm, the gun discharged, injuring his hand and upper thigh. Riggs was transported to a nearby hospital in Arizona where he is being treated by physicians. We wish Joe a speedy recovery."
There's been no word yet about exactly how bad Riggs' injuries are or how long they'll keep him out of the Octagon. But we obviously wish him well and hope that he's able to recover and make his long-awaited return to the UFC soon.
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[via ESPN]
