Hafthor Bjornsson’s fight with former MMA fighter Alex Simon has been called off as the latter undergoes surgery after an injury.
The world’s strongest actor and former man, also known as ‘Thor’ and who played Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane in Game of Thrones, was due to return to the ring in May to face Simon after a successful start in June of last year.
Simon is Australia’s strongest former man, who has enjoyed success in powerlifting and set many records including squat lift, bench press and dead lift.
He has since made the transition to combat sports, participating in kickboxing and MMA, and was used by Thor as an opportunity to fight someone with attributes similar to Eddie Hall.
Bjornsson and his ex-World’s Strongest Man Hall colleagues are due to attend a highly anticipated showdown in Las Vegas in September.
But the mountain clash with Simon is turned off after confirming on Instagram that he needs to have surgery.
He wrote: “Biceps tendon surgery”.
“Not the news I wanted to give, but last week in a fight session I threw a punch and tore my left bicep tendon from the bone.
“I immediately knew how bad the injury was as I tore my right bicep tendon less than 2 years ago, obviously that means my boxing match with @thorbjornsson is over.
“I wish him good luck in his preparation, the rehab lasts about 6 months, another setback for myself and this one was hard to take after a few terrible years for me, but that’s how it is is happening and I will tick all the boxes with regards to rehabilitation and return to competition before the end of the year.
“I can only hope my streak of bad luck is behind me now and a successful race is brewing.
“I will never give up, it’s just not in me and I will reach my goals on time.
“When you get discouraged you find out who really has your back and the people who do, I won’t forget when we ride soon, just a matter of time the rehabilitation begins.”
Dubbed the “ heaviest boxing match in history, ” Thor and his British rival agreed to settle their differences in the ring in Las Vegas in September this year.
The genesis of the feud dates back to when Hall won the 2017 World’s Strongest Man title, as Bjornsson accused the Briton of cheating during the Viking press.
However, video evidence uploaded to Hall’s YouTube channel appeared to reject the Icelandic’s claims.
Now the pair will come to blows inside a boxing ring in Sin City and the Englishman has cut the fight down considerably, but retained his strength as he presented it in a devastating display of power.