Adrien Broner forced to withdraw from Saturday’s fight with Omar Figueroa Jr due to mental health issues

Adrien Broner dropped a bombshell on his Instagram early Monday morning when he revealed that he wouldn’t be fighting Omar Figueroa Jr. Saturday night on Showtime.

The two men were originally scheduled to meet July 23rd, before a location change moved the fight to Aug. 20 where both fighters would headline a Showtime Boxing event in Florida.

Adrien Broner (34-4, 24 KO’s) was set to make his return to the ring for the first time since a close, controversial decision against Jovanie Santiago in 2021. This is a fight still debated today amongst many boxing pundits.

Unfortunately for Broner fans, though, they’ll have to wait a little longer to see him get back in the ring.

‼️ Adrien Broner has stated that his fight vs Omar Figueroa Jr is OFF from Saturday night as he is pulling out due to mental health issues… pic.twitter.com/QDHQHXjVih

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 15, 2022

“Sorry to all my fans, but #MentalHealth is real and I’m not about to play inside the ring,” Adrien Broner wrote in an Instagram caption during his latest post. “I’ve watched a lot of people die playing with [their] boxing career and that is just something I won’t do. Just pray for me. I love the sport of boxing too much to not give my all and I feel like I came up short before because my mind wasn’t 100% there and I be damned if I make that mistake again. I need to make some change for the better instead of worrying about other people‘s feelings and pleasing them, when in reality, I have nothing to prove to nobody. I’m a four-time world champion in four different weight classes, and if I never lace up a pair of gloves again, I feel like it is safe to say that I will be in the #BoxingHallofFame. So, I have to step back and overcome this obstacle before I put my life on the line inside the square-circle again. I know I’m far from being finished with this sport. See y’all soon.”

Figueroa Jr. didn’t take too kindly to Broner’s comments, citing his mental health concerns as an “excuse” for pulling out of the fight.

At press time, the card will proceed as scheduled with the co-main event being elevated to the headliner.

Will the fight get rescheduled? Share your thoughts in the comments, Penn NATION!