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 former interim UFC lightweight champ Dustin Poirier, multi-time UFC title challenger Stephen Thompson, dual UFC champ Henry Cejudo and more.
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Stephen Thompson
Former two-time UFC welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson (15-4-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC) confirmed to MMA Junkie that he will not require surgery on either hand after damaging them in his “Fight of the Night” victory over Vicente Luque at UFC 244, news that was first reported by MMA Fighting.
According to “Wonderboy,” he is still dealing with some pain and swelling in both hands, but a doctor confirmed no operation will be necessary. Thompson expects his hands to be healed within eight weeks, and at that point he can begin looking at his next fight.
Dustin Poirier
Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier (26-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC) is engaging in daily physical therapy sessions after undergoing hip surgery Oct. 24 to repair a lingering injury.
“The Diamond” told MMA Junkie his rehab is currently on track, and Poirier is targeting a return to the octagon in March against a high-profile opponent in the lightweight or welterweight division.
Eddie Alvarez
Former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (30-7) continues to rehab after he pulled out of the ONE Championship lightweight grand prix final in October.
Although details around the injury that forced Alvarez off the card remain unknown, he posted a positive update on social media with footage from his recovery and a caption stating his intention to compete “ASAP.”
Henry Cejudo
UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) is on track to make his return to the octagon in March or April after getting shoulder surgery in June.
Cejudo, who last fought at UFC 238 over the summer when he beat Marlon Moraes for the 135-pound belt, has spent much time lately in Las Vegas at the UFC Performance Institute working closely with the team to get back to full strength for his next title defense.
Felice Herrig
UFC strawweight Felice Herrig (14-8 MMA, 5-3 UFC) continues on the comeback trail as she just passed 13 months since her most recent fight due to knee surgery.
Herrig suffered a torn ACL earlier this year, forcing her out of a scheduled bout at UFC 238 in her home state of Illinois. She said she still has four months remaining in the rehab process and intends on making a return to the UFC in 2020.
Rafael Fiziev
UFC lightweight Rafael Fiziev (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) announced he is scheduled for surgery to repair complete ACL and MCL tears, sidelining him indefinitely.
Fiziev is fresh off a unanimous decision win over Alex White at UFC on ESPN+ 20 in October, evening his UFC record after dropping his promotional debut in April. Now the fighter from Kyrgyzstan will have to wait to try for his second octagon win.
Sam Alvey
UFC light heavyweight Sam Alvey (33-13 MMA, 10-8 UFC) is “healing fast” after getting surgery on the broken hand that forced him to withdraw from this past weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 22.
Alvey was supposed to fight Mauricio Rua in the event co-headliner, but landed a punch in practice that prevented him from competing. Alvey has removed the hard cast, according to his social media, and is hoping to reschedule his date with “Shogun” in 2020.
Kyle Prepolec
UFC lightweight Kyle Prepolec (12-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has doubts about his fighting future after receiving a muscle biopsy surgery.
Prepolec, who is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Austin Hubbard at UFC on ESPN+ 16 in September, said he “can’t keep fighting while my body is going in rhabdo anymore,” but as he recovers will continue to seek answers which could lead to a return to fighting.
Derek Anderson
Bellator welterweight Derek Anderson (16-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) revealed that a strained groin muscle was the culprit behind his withdrawal from Saturday’s Bellator Europe 6 main event against Michael Page.
Anderson said he injured the groin muscle while training and made the decision alongside his coaches to pull out of the fight to avoid further damage. “The Barbaric” said it was difficult to make the decision but hopes to return in 2020 with a clean bill of health.
Gokhan Saki
UFC light heavyweight and former kickboxing standout Gokhan Saki (1-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) finally underwent knee surgery this week following his withdrawal from a scheduled bout at UFC on ESPN+ 5 in March.
Saki said he attempted to rehab the injury, but after a lack of progress, made the decision to get the operation. “The Rebel” did not provide a timeline for his potential return to competition.
