“I’ve gotta be able to adjust. It happens at shows all the time.”
Denny dropped out of the fight for unspecified reasons, although it was not an injury, according to KOTC officials.
Denny sports a 26-18 record, having lost his last two fights against former Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titlist Pat Miletich and well-regarded former UFC fighter Nick Diaz, who defeated Denny in a fight telecast live on CBS.
As for Hervey (9-5), the Michigan-based fighter was also none too happy about the scenario, as he was scheduled to take on Lazar Stojadinovic (3-3) for the KOTC bantamweight title on June 19 in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
“I was actually training for a title fight. I had to put the brakes on that,” Hervey said. “It was like a huge change of gears.”
Hervey’s fight was set to be at 145 pounds, but he prefers fighting at 155 or 160, saying he’s healthier and quicker at that weight. Still, taking the fight, which will be fought at 160, on short notice was something he had to think about.
“Actually, I was very skeptical,” Hervey said of the situation. “That’s just kind of garbage. I really didn’t know what to expect.”
Another cause for Hervey’s distaste with the situation was the fact that it moved him from fighting in his home state to traveling to California.
“It really does,” Hervey said of losing the Michigan fight upsetting him. “It was a bad deal.”
It’s just the opposite for Crane (12-3), who will fight for the first time in California and, perhaps most importantly, within driving distance of the Jewel City.
