Fractured Orbital Forces Pat Curran From Bellator 73 Title Bout Against Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire

A fractured orbital bone sustained in training has forced Pat Curran (17-4) from his upcoming featherweight title defense against Patricio "Pitbull" Freire (17-1) at next weekend's Bellator 73.

"It was my 2nd to last sparring session and I fractured my orbital. Sorry everyone. The fight is off," Curran tweeted on Tuesday. "I feel horrible for what happened and there's nothing I can do about it. As soon as I feel better, I'll be back at it in the gym."

Bellator officials have yet to decide whether "Pitbull" will remain on the Bellator 73 card, which takes place on August 24 at Harrah's Tunica Hotel and Casino in Mississippi. The event's main card will broadcast live on MTV2, with the preliminary card streaming on Spike.com.

Curran recently captured the Bellator featherweight crown after viciously knocking out former titleholder Joe Warren last March. The road to the title for the Chicago native was highlighted by consecutive victories over Luis Palomino, Ronnie Mann and Marlon Sandro.

Freire, meanwhile, earned a shot at the promotion's featherweight title after winning the Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament last year. During the impressive run, the Brazilian standout bested the likes of Georgi Karakhanyan, Wilson Reis and Daniel Straus. 

(Pictured: Pat Curran)