The UFC welterweight champion recently underwent hand ligament surgery.
Dana White took to Instagram on Monday to share that UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman had gone under the knife recently. And the UFC president did so by posting some gruesome before and after photos of the surgery.
Weeks before his championship rematch against Colby Covington at UFC 268, Usman broke his right hand during a final sparring session with teammate Justin Gaethje. The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ fought on despite the untimely injury and earned a unanimous decision over ‘Chaos’ for his fifth consecutive defense.
Three months removed from that fight, Usman needed to repair ligament damage in his hand. If you wanted to see what the inside of it looks like, then now is your chance.
Warning: Photos below are graphic. Please proceed with caution.
Pound for pound best fighter in the world @USMAN84kg had hand ligament surgery today. This is the before and after. See you soon CHAMP pic.twitter.com/fQoAMKGR0M
— danawhite (@danawhite) February 8, 2022
Dr. David Abbasi — the orthopedic surgeon known for his injury breakdowns — explained that this is a condition known as boxer’s knuckle. According to Abbasi, Usman could have had his extensor tendon dislocated without surgery, leading to further pain and instability.
Fortunately, Usman does not expect to be away for too long. His manager Ali Abdelaziz told Marc Raimondi of ESPN that he would be ready to fight again during International Fight Week, which hosts UFC 276 on July 2. The pay-per-view event does not currently have a headliner, and there is no word on whether Usman will fill that role.
As for an opponent, the UFC brass has already confirmed that Leon Edwards is ‘100 percent’ next in line. Usman and Edwards have previously shared the Octagon, where the champion scored a unanimous decision win at UFC on FOX 17 over six years ago.