One of the most exciting fights on paper in Titan FC history did not go down as expected.
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In fact, it didn\u2019t go down at all.
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Friday night, Titan FC 53: Bad Blood was to aptly feature a grudge match between reunited enemies Juan Puerta and Gustavo Balart.
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Just moments before the fighters were scheduled to make the walk, Titan FC COO Lex McMahon took to the mic to make an unexpected announcement.
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\u201cI\u2019ve been in this sport for eleven years, and I\u2019ve never had to do something like I\u2019m about to do,\u201d McMahon told the crowd. \u201cUnfortunately, our main event has been disqualified. Juan Puerta has been disqualified by the Florida boxing commission, so I\u2019m sorry.\u201d
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Moments after the event concluded, McMahon spoke with BJPenn.com about the mysterious cancellation.
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\u201cIn the third or fourth round, the Florida commissioner came to me and notified me that Juan Puerta had tested positive for marijuana and that they would not allow him to fight,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cAs I\u2019m trying to digest that, I\u2019m trying to make sense of why they wouldn\u2019t adjunicate it after the fight, we\u2019re minutes away from a walkout.
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\u201c[Puerta] has obviously got a lot of responsibility in this. I would\u2019ve liked to have seen the Florida commission — who generally does a very good job and who I\u2019m very supportive of (I think they do a very good job)… I don\u2019t think they handled the issue the right way. I think the fighters should have been allowed to fight and this should have been adjudicated after the fight.\u201d
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Radiating genuine disappointment, McMahon views the conundrum as a losing situation for all parties involved.
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\u201cI understand the promotion lost, the fighters lost, the fans lost, everybody lost,\u201d McMahon said \u201cIt\u2019s a very difficult situation. The Florida commission took Puerta\u2019s check, so I wasn\u2019t able to pay him.\u201d
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While still a bit unclear, McMahon says he believes the withdrawal came as a result of a sample Puerta had given just hours before.
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\u201cI believe [the test] was taken today when they arrived at the venue,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cThe fighters from this card have only had two interactions with the Florida commission. One was yesterday during weigh ins, and I\u2019m almost certain no one was tested then.
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\u201cThe [the second was] today, when they arrived for the fight. I\u2019m pretty sure the fighters were tested when they arrived. It seems very fast to get the results back for that kind of test. But I don\u2019t have enough expertise to speak intelligently on that. I believe they were tested as soon as they arrived, and three hours later this kid couldn\u2019t fight.\u201d
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Anther looming question still remains. Does a \u201cdisqualification\u201d, in this instance, mean a loss on Puerta\u2019s record? McMahon says he isn\u2019t quite sure.
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\u201cI was trying to sort through [things], and I don\u2019t know if my language was the appropriate language [on the mic],\u201d McMahon said. \u201cAt the end of the day, let the kid fight. In my mind, they disqualified him. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s a loss or if they disqualified him. The commission didn\u2019t give me that information.\u201d
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Unsurprisingly, Puerta is facing repercussions from the boxing commission in the form of not only a check withhold, but also an indefinite suspension. From Titan FC\u2019s end, repercussions have not been issued at this time.
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\u201cThe commission has suspended [Puerta] indefinitely,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cThey took his check. And he\u2019ll have to go in front of the commision.\u201d
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Contrary to rumblings on social media, McMahon made it clear that Puerta is not stripped of his Titan FC Flyweight Championship at this time. The promotion\u2019s COO says he needs to wait and see how things transpire.
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\u201cI happen to think the world of Juan Puerta,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cI\u2019m obviously very upset at the current situation. I want it to play out. Let\u2019s see how things play out over the next few days. Obviously there will be repercussions from the promotion, but I don\u2019t know just yet.
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\u201cAs of now, I have not stripped Puerta of the title. We\u2019re going to gather information, but I am supportive of him. We\u2019ll see what happens, after we catch our breath over the next couple of days. The fight did not occur, so I couldn\u2019t award the belt to Balart even though he did everything right. There was no fight. How do you give a guy a belt when he didn\u2019t fight? All around it was a difficult situation.\u201d
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As for Puerta\u2019s opponent, fan-favorite Gustavo Balart, McMahon says he has been paid, and Titan is doing everything they can to get him an in-cage opportunity as soon as possible. He credits Balart for handling the situation like a professional.
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\u201c[Balart] had that Cuban flag draped over his shoulders and he was making his final preparations,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cHe has limited English, so I had to bring some translators over. But people that he and I both know mutually — we were very honest with him. He looked at me and said, \u2018It\u2019s okay man.\u2019
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\u201cI told him I was going to pay him and try to find something for him immediately. Gustavo has had almost all of his fights with us. He\u2019s an amazing and entertaining fighter. I want to help him get back up. He\u2019s invested time, energy, and resources into his camp. He wants to compete, and we\u2019re definitely going to help him get on to the next step.\u201d
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Titan FC will hold its next event on April 26 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — just one day prior to the UFC\u2019s event in Sunrise.
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One of the most exciting fights on paper in Titan FC history did not go down as expected. In fact, it didn\u2019t go down at all. Friday night, Titan FC 53: Bad Blood was to aptly feature a grudge match between reunited enemies Juan Puerta and Gustavo Balart. Just moments before the fighters were scheduled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54470,"featured_media":305742,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[10638],"tags":[9646,2768,4712,43864,43863,550,4121,2763,43862,7635],"yoast_head":"\n