Conor Heun har varit medlem i Strikeforces fighterstall sedan i juni 2009 då han gjorde sin Strikeforce-debut i en match mot Jorge Gurgel på Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg. Efter det här har däremot medicinska problem radats upp för den 33-åriga Colorado-bon, och skador som uppkommit så länge en fighter varit under kontrakt med Zuffa ska enligt deras försäkringspolicy ersätta skador som uppstår 24 timmar om dygnet, var som helst i världen. Men för Heuns del så har Zuffas försäkring sagt nej till hans krav.
”As some of you may know, I needed surgery to repair the torn labrum in both of my hips, as well as an avulsion fracture, following my bout with Ryan Couture in Strikeforce this past March,” skriver Heun på UG. ”Unfortunately, Zuffa’s Insurance company has denied the claim so I am being forced to pay out-of-pocket to cover the surgeries. Luckily, the guys at Fund-A-Fighter have stepped up to help me be creating a campaign to help me raise the money.”
För en oförsäkrad person i USA så kan just sjukhusräkningar bli otroligt dyrt, men Zuffas försäkringsbolag Houston Casualty ansåg att Heun inte skulle tillgång till försäkringen då de ansåg att det var en redan befintlig skada.
”The surgeon looked at the two torn labrum and on one side he said that I had a mild case of congenital hip dysplasia. He said that if he just repaired the labrum, that I would be at risk of re-tearing it so he performed a PAO or Periacetabular Osteotomy. This was to prevent the injury from happening again. The insurance denied that claim based on this being a pre-existing condition not related to the fight. The reality is that the injury (torn labrum) was related to the fight and the doctor just wanted to make sure that once it was healed, that it didn’t happen again. However due to stipulations in the Zuffa Insurance they are denying the claim because the PAO wasn’t to repair an injury, but was to prevent re-injury after the initial repair.
”I am currently still under contract with Zuffa. In fact, [UFC Match maker] Sean Shelby called me this afternoon to offer my the fight with Pat Healy on Jan 12. I told him I’d take the fight but that they’d have some trouble getting me cleared buy the doctors as I’m still on crutches and will be until Jan 3rd. He said that if I beat Pat, they would bring me to the UFC. When he found out that I was injured, he told me that I would not be brought over to the UFC but to get a win at 145 after I’m healed and they will look at bringing me on. I was flattered to get the shot at Healy, a title shot has always been a dream and yea, I’m crazy (and broke) enough to take that fight even in the shape I’m in. So while I am officially still under contract with Zuffa, I was told to expect my release early next year.”
Fans kan fortfarande stödja Heun dock, och Fund-A-Fighter tar för närvarande emot donationer som i sin tur kommer att gå till Heuns kommande operation.
