Jorge Masvidal Out For Six Weeks After Suffering Hand Injuries Against Gilbert Melendez

Jorge Masvidal lost more than his shot at the belt on Saturday.

The Strikeforce lightweight contender will be sidelined for anywhere from four-to-six weeks after suffering multiple hand injuries in his failed challenge to Gilbert Melendez's throne, according to reports from MMA Fighting.

The damage initiated about ten days out from the fight when Masvidal suffered a severe contusion to his right hand in training. While the injury would not be enough to prevent "Gamebred" from the biggest fight of his career, his situation worsened early in the opening minutes when he sustained a ligament injury to the same hand.

With his right hand out of commission, Masivdal switched to a left-centric attack that was fairly effective but ultimately fell short, as a visibly battered Melendez carried the unanimous judge's decision to his third straight title defense.

Following a trip to a hand specialist earlier this week, Masvidal will be required to wear a cast on his right hand until the injuries can heal.

"He is hoping to work his way back up to fight Gilbert Melendez again when he is 100 percent," his manager Tina Vidal-Smith said. "But stresses that Gilbert won the fight fair and square and extends his utmost respect to the current champion."