UFC 290: True severity of Alex Volkanovski’s cut revealed

He downplayed the injury all week, but Alex Volkanovski has now revealed the severity of his pre-fight cut.

Alex Volkanovski played down the severity of the cut whenever he was asked about it during fight week in Las Vegas. Picture: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The true extent of the cut under Alex Volkanovski’s eye can finally be revealed, with the featherweight world champion receiving five stitches less than a week out from his UFC 290 title defence against Yair Rodriguez.

Volkanovski was training at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas on the Monday evening before the bout when he was cut on his cheek, just below his right eye, while moving with a teammate.

Immediately after the incident happened, the 34-year-old stepped out of the Octagon and assessed the severity of the cut in a mirror.

Training paused for 10 minutes as a plaster was applied to the wound, before Volkanovski moved to the wrestling mats and completed his session.

He received stitches later that evening, and kept the cut covered up with a plaster bearing a photo of a UFC belt all week.

Volkanovski wore a plaster with a UFC belt on it all week. Picture: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

He played it down whenever he was questioned about the incident, saying it was just a minor scratch and that he was keeping it covered to avoid the risk of infection.

“I went with the whole Nelly look,” he said on his YouTube channel this week, referencing the hip-hop artist who wore a plaster on his cheek in the mid-2000s.

“I was surprised, surely everyone’s not that silly and most people knew something was up.

“You’d be surprised by the amount of people who said, ‘Oh I had no idea, I thought that was just your look’.

“Maybe they thought I had a mid-life crisis with the Nelly look.”

Volkanovski says he was surprised more people didn’t ask about the cut. Picture: Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Nelly became known for wearing a plaster on his cheek. Picture: SGranitz/WireImage)

It wasn’t until he was on his way to the cage for the fight that the public saw him without the plaster on, and it was obvious that the cut was more severe than he’d been letting on.

Because the wound was below his eye, it wasn’t considered a major risk to his vision. If it had been above his eye, there might have been too much risk of it opening up during the bout and blood dripping into his eye.

Asked about the cut during the week, UFC president Dana White said he wasn’t concerned, while Rodriguez hoped to target it.

Despite the momentary Monday afternoon panic, the cut wasn’t the most troublesome thing Volkanovski battled through this training camp.

The cut was visible on Volkanovski’s cheek during the fight. Picture: Steve Marcus/Getty Images

The champion revealed after the bout that he requires surgery on his left arm. He has an issue with his elbow that won’t allow him to fully extend his arm, but says it isn’t a major medical operation.

“I didn’t mean to scare anyone with that, it’s not a big deal. I’ll be back in ASAP,” he said.

“It’ll be a quick one, I just need to get something sorted, but I’ll be training.”

Despite the surgery, Volkanovski says he could be ready as soon as UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi in October.

The father of two won’t fight at UFC 293 in Sydney in September. Even if Volkanovski was fully fit in nine weeks, he and wife, Emma, are expecting their third child in September, and Volkanovski wouldn’t have fought.

Originally published as UFC 290: True severity of Alex Volkanovski’s cut revealed