Jessica Aguilar Pulled For Potentially Contagious Condition

MMA Fighting reports that Jessica Aguilar was pulled from UFC Fight Night 131 due to a medical issue, according to the New York State Athletic Commission. She was set to fight Jodie Esquibel at the event last Friday.

Spokesperson Lee Park said in a statement: “Medical personnel identified a potentially contagious medical condition. For the safety of the impacted fighter and her opponent, the fight was called off. UFC medical personnel were also consulted and concurred with the decision.”

Aguilar said on social media this past Friday that she was pulled due to chapped lips. She added that she was cleared by a dermatologist on Thursday but the fight was still cancelled. She said: “The commission had a concern regarding my lips and my use of chapstick during the physical exam prior to weigh-ins so they requested that I be cleared by a dermatologist. So right after weigh-ins the commission rush me to get clearance which I was granted by the dermatologist. But tonight, at the arena, the commission struck again and canceled the fight. You can’t reason with this commission, it kinda felted personal.”

Park added: “The reason the fight was canceled was because of the fighter’s condition on Friday.”

Her manager Abe Kawa said Aguilar was cleared by two tests and got another one yesterday for “peace of mind.”

He said: “I do think that New York is going to get it right eventually. I just think there’s certain people that are there right now that don’t understand what they’re doing, honestly. Not even the sport, just what they’re doing in general. It’s shameful, man. It’s shameful. Jessica didn’t deserve that. She deserved to be able to go out there and fight. It is the worst way that I can think of, of telling a fighter they can’t fight. If you thought a fighter has something and you just sent them to a doctor that’s just a random doctor in the city that you’re in and you’re basically saying that doctor’s word is no longer good, I don’t know what we could have done to make this better.“