Los Angeles – Just before his Final Fight Championship® (FFC®) debut, Roger “The Silverback” Narvaez (7-2) had to cancel his performance at FFC 24 Daytona Beach, Florida, due to a fist injury he sustained at training. Therefore, Narvaez will not fight Moldova’s Pavel Doroftei in the match that was to crown FFC’s first middleweight champion. The American fighter regrets the circumstances but he also promises to come back soon and to fight in the FFC® this fall. His replacement will be American fighter Danillo ‘Indio’ Villefort (14-5) who was to fight at the same event anyway, but now he got the title shot.

“I injured my fist while training a couple of weeks ago, but I tried to ignore the pain hoping it would get better. I continued training hoping it will all end well. Unfortunately, it just became worse. I went to see a doctor and he suggested a surgery which I accepted.”

“I hope FFC® still counts on me and I hope I will fight at other FFC® events. My apologies to FFC® leaders, I just had to cancel my match. I am also very disappointed. I trained a couple of weeks with injured fist and I wanted to fight at FFC® so bad,” said Roger Narvaez.

FFC® is to make its FFC® debut June 3 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The event will be headlined by UFC vet Karo Parisyan and Turkey’s Ardo Adas. Watch FFC® 24 live on CBS Sports.