Icon show called off after Lawler’s arm injury

Hose keeps on waiting

Saturday's Icon Sport mixed martial arts event has been canceled, the promoter announced yesterday.

Middleweight champion Robbie Lawler suffered injuries to his arm and shoulder in training, forcing him to withdraw from his main-event fight against Waianae's Kala Kolohe Hose.

A date for the next Icon show is still up in the air as the company waits to find out how long Lawler will be unable to compete.

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The wait continues for Waianae's Kala Kolohe Hose.

The scheduled challenger to Robbie Lawler's Icon Sport world middleweight championship had his title shot postponed yet again after the promoter announced the cancellation of Saturday's scheduled "Fearless" event.

Lawler, who knocked out Murilo "Ninja" Rua at the Blaisdell Arena in September, suffered a torn tendon in his right biceps in training. Icon promoter Patrick Freitas and president T. Jay Thompson spent the weekend trying to find a viable fill-in for Lawler, but in the end, decided the best thing to do was cancel the show.

"(Hose) doesn't deserve to fight in Icon against anybody other than Robbie Lawler at this point," Thompson said at a press conference yesterday. "It didn't make sense to insult our fans and put on a card that was less than Icon."

It's the second time a fight between the two has been pushed back. The original meeting for the belt was set to take place last June when Lawler was forced to pull out with a dislocated shoulder, raising questions that Lawler might be ducking the powerhouse from Waianae.

"At some point (I have doubts), but he's the champion," Hose said. "I don't think he's going to dodge anybody."

Lawler won all three of his fights in 2007, including title wins over Frank Trigg and Rua. He has won seven of eight bouts since leaving the UFC and has solidified himself as one of the top middleweights in the world.

The unanswered questions regarding the exact extent of his injuries are currently his biggest concern.

"I'm just bummed because right now I don't know exactly what's wrong," Lawler said. "It could be weeks or it could be six months."

Lawler said he had been complaining of pain in his shoulder throughout training, but his original doctor found nothing wrong. After tearing the tendon in his bicep, he had an MRI done and it revealed more problems with his shoulder.

He was expected to consult with another doctor later in the week for a second opinion.

"I was complaining that my shoulder was hurting, but since the doctor didn't find anything, my coaches were just giving me crap," Lawler said. "I knew my biceps was torn, but I didn't really worry about my shoulder until today when I called to get the (MRI) results."

Since it's unclear when Lawler will be ready to fight again, a date for Icon's next event has not been set.

People who purchased tickets for the show can get a full refund at the location they bought the tickets beginning Thursday.

Thompson also confirmed that Hose will fight on Showtime as part of a ShoXC event Jan. 25 against a yet to be named opponent.

It hardly makes up for the disappointment of not getting the Lawler fight, but Hose knows some things are out of his control.

"A fight is a fight," Hose said. "Of course I'd rather fight Robbie, but I have to keep going forward."