Super welterweight Ahmet Patterson was recently attacked while training and will not compete against Liam Williams for a regional title.
Patterson said in a press release he suffered head injuries after being struck by a brick. Patterson and Williams were set to fight for the vacant WBO European super welterweight title on the undercard of the Billy Joe Saunders vs. Artur Akavov fight card.
“I was doing my road work when I noticed a group of men gathering on the pavement around 50 yards in front of me,” Patterson said. “I tried to run around them but they moved in front of me and blocked my path. As I ran around them one of the men struck me in the face with a brick and we got in a scuffle. Once I started defending myself they ran off.”
Williams will now face Gabor Gorbics for the vacant title on November 26. Williams said he is still focused on getting the European super welterweight title. The 24-year-old Williams has a record of 15-0-1 as a professional boxer.
“Obviously I’m disappointed as I was expecting a tough fight against Ahmet and it would have been exciting for the fans while it lasted,” Williams said. “Unfortunately, things like this happen in boxing and we have to just get on with it. I’m fully focused on securing the WBO European title. It’s another belt to add to my collection and I’m going to put on a show for everyone who is coming out to support me. Ending 2016 on a high is important but it won’t be easy against a strong fighter in Gorbics."
Gorbics' 2016 has been a very busy one. The fight against Williams will be Gorbics' 14th fight of 2016, having gone 11-2 so far this year. Gorbics' last fight was less than a week ago, having lost to Radzhab Butaev for the vacant NABF super welterweight title
