World champion of jiu-jitsu and training partner of former UFC champion Ben Henderson, Augusto ‘Tanquinho’ Mendes signed with the UFC on Tuesday and was scheduled to fight Charles Rosa on five notice, on Saturday! The fight will not happen as Tanquinho suffered a freak rib injury in training right after signing the contract.

Undefeated, the bantamweight (135 lbs / 61kg) holds a perfect 5-0 MMA record. He was moving up to 145 lbs to face Charles Rosa at UFC Fight Night 81.

Sources close to Mendes said that he will get a new fight in a future card. Rosa will now face Kyle Bochniak on Sunday’s UFC event.

Charles Rosa didn’t like the fact that Tanquinho Mendes pulled out of the fight and said he still has suspicions about whether Mendes was truly injured. He told MMAjunkie:

“My first fight, Jimy Hettes, got injured, had a knee injury. The second guy? Augusto Mendes, I think he signed the contract, thought twice about it, and didn’t want to do it. I would love that fight. I feel like you accept something and then you turn it down, you give then you take it back – I only spent a full day prepping for him, but he took one of my days away, and I want it back.”

Charles Rosa

Tanquinho answered Rosa’s accusations. He told MMA Fighting Guilherme Cruz:

“I was in a four-week camp for my five-round title fight at Legacy when I got the offer from the UFC. I got all the documents and exams the UFC required and signed with them. On my first training the next morning, just rolling with my student to sweat and start cutting weight, he tried to pass my guard and fell with his shoulder on my rib.”

“He has a mouth so he can say whatever he wants. I’ve always respected my opponents, but I guess this is how he wants to get attention. I didn’t know who he was when they offered the fight, but I’m sure he has never faced the level of opponents I’ve faced in my sport. I was never afraid of anyone.

“I’ve competed against the best grapplers in the world, and I’m sure he has never fought the best in the world in anything he’s ever done in his life. He says whatever he wants. We will meet one day, no problem. I wish him luck. I hope he doesn’t eat his own words.”

“I’m a bantamweight, so the idea is to fight at 135, but I told the UFC I want to fight as soon as I’m cleared. If there’s no bantamweight available for now, I can get another fight on short notice. At 145 or 135, whatever they want. But if they are going to give me a full camp, I’d rather fight at 135. I feel good at 135, and I have a long future in this division.”