Karolina Kowalkiewicz has confirmed that she fought the majority of her UFC on ESPN+ 26 bout against Yan Xiaonan with a serious facial injury.
Kowalkiewicz (12-6 MMA, 5-6 UFC) was seemingly compromised from the early stages of the first round in the strawweight matchup when Xiaonan (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) landed a blow that caused some swelling and had Kowalkiewicz protecting her right eye to an alarming degree.
There was a moment after the opening frame where the cageside doctor questioned Kowalkiewicz, but ultimately the fight continued, and Xiaonan cruised to a unanimous decision. Kowalkiewicz gutted out the injury until the final bell, but the day-after report confirmed she was dealing with a significant handicap.
“(For the) first (time) in my life after (a) fight, I cannot say I am OK,” Kowalkiewicz said Sunday on her Instagram Stories. “In the beginning of (the) first round, I have (a) broken small bone. I couldn’t see nothing. My vision was double and everything was in the fog.”
Kowalkiewicz said she was given some immediate treatment in a local hospital after the fight, which took place at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. Further examination is needed, she said. While surgery is required, a determination must be made of whether it will take place in Auckland or in her native Poland.
“After (the) fight, I spent all day in (the) hospital. Today, I’m going to (a) specialist and they (will) make (a) decision,” Kowalkiewicz said. “I need (an) operation. I’m waiting for the decision here, or I’ll go back to Poland and make this operation in Poland. But doctors say I have to stay here because flying with this eye is very dangerous.”
The loss to Xiaonan pushed Kowalkiewicz’s losing skid to four consecutive fights. She hasn’t won since April 2018, and at 34, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the former UFC title challenger.
