It’s no secret that MMA is a grueling sport. Injuries occur everywhere from the training room to the cage, and sometimes even beyond that.
Injuries can cause the best set plans to fall by the wayside, derail careers or worse. Still, though, the overwhelming majority of fighters overcome their physical setbacks and eventually find their way back to competition.
Below MMA Junkie tracks the latest in notable MMA injuries, including updates on a current UFC champion, a former titleholder, a one-time challenger to the belt and more.
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- UFC strawweight contender [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) suffered no serious injuries in her UFC 248 title-fight loss to Zhang Weili, despite sustaining a massive hematoma on her forehead. It took some time, but the swelling and bruising have nearly completely subsided on the former longtime 115-pound titleholder.
- UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) has received clearance to resume training on a right hand injury that stemmed from his UFC 245 title win over Max Holloway in December. With the hand good to go, the path is clear for Volkanovski to headline June’s UFC 250 event in Perth, Australia. It will likely be a title rematch with Holloway in his first defense.
- UFC welterweight [autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 4-5 UFC) is nearly six weeks post-op on a neck injury that caused him to withdraw from UFC 247 in February. He said he was dealing with a crack in his C4 vertebrae for 14 years and finally did a fusion surgery that he hopes will eventually allow him to compete at 100 percent for the first time in his MMA career.
- PFL 2019 finalist [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag] (18-6) is gearing up for the 2020 season after having the pins removed from his hand. He sustained a Bennett fracture in his TKO loss to Ray Cooper III in December, but intends to be healthy enough to return for the upcoming season, which is slated to begin in early June.
- Former UFC flyweight title challenger [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) is about ready to return to full training after undergoing left elbow surgery roughly six weeks ago. “Evil” did not detail the exact nature of her surgery, but said the issue has been lingering “for about three years.”
- UFC welterweight [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag] (27-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) is nearly ready to return to the octagon after not having fought since November 2018. A plethora of different injuries and infections have kept the Argentinian out of action, but he’s keen to resume his career and build off his current seven-fight winning streak.
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