Adrien Broner withdraws from Aug. 20 Omar Figueroa fight citing mental health issues

After an 18-month hiatus, which was preceded by a two-year layoff, it looks like the return of Adrien Broner was not meant to be — at least not for now. Broner was scheduled to fight this weekend in a Showtime main event against Omar Figueroa, but just posted on his social media this morning that he’s pulling out of the fight.

“Man, I’m going through a lot at this moment in my life but I ain’t go give up. I set some more goals and I ain’t stopping until I finish what I started but sorry to say this but I’m not fighting August 20,” Broner posted on his Instagram, followed by this caption (which has been slightly edited for ease of reading).

“Sorry to all my fans but mental health is real and I’m not about to play inside the ring. I’ve watched a lot of people die playing with they boxing career and that is 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’ll be damned if I make that mistake again.

“I need to make some changes for the better instead of worrying about other people feelings and pleasing them when In all 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’s safe to say I will be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. So I have to step back and overcome this obstacle before I go put my life on the line inside the square circle again. I know I’m far from being finished with the sport. SEE YALL SOON.”

Broner, 33, made his last appearance in what was designed to be a get-well fight against Jovanie Santiago in Feb. 2021. But much like we’ve seen of Broner in recent years, he was hesitant to throw punches but still managed to win a wider-than-deserved decision. For now, naturally, it’s safe to wonder whether or not we’ll ever see Broner back in another professional prize fight the way things are headed.