Horrific acupuncture injury forces UFC star Mitch Clarke out of hometown event

The reason why UFC lightweight Mitch Clarke is out of his next fight is almost too bizarre to believe.

Since the UFC announced they would be hosting an event in his hometown of Saskatoon, Canada for the first time, Mitch Clarke was always a shoe-in to feature on the card.

The man who grew up just minutes away from the SaskTel Centre, where the event will take place, would have been the perfect addition to Fight Night 74. However, he will not be fighting on the card, and he has a pretty strange reason why, as the Star Phoenix have reports.

According to the newspaper, Clarke had to undergo surgery as the result of a freak accident that happened while he was receiving an alternative medical treatment.

While receiving an acupuncture treatment, the needle broke off from the handle while in his arm. Making things exponentially worse, the muscle in his forearm was contracting at that exact moment. With no handle to hold on to, the needle was sucked deep into his forearm muscle. Clarke had to undergo surgery to have the needle removed.

Clarke now faces uncertainty over his immediate future in the sport, and understandably, he's devastated that he will merely be attending Fight Night 74 as a spectator.

"It's devastating. It would have been a dream come true to be able to fight in the first Saskatchewan card. It's super disappointing. It wasn't to be, apparently."

Hat-tip to the Star Phoenix