Former UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski talked about one of the most dangerous battles of his career, which nearly cost him his leg.
Following his dominant victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 237 in Rio de Janeiro, Volkanovski developed a severe blood infection that rapidly escalated while he was traveling back to Australia.
What initially appeared to be routine damage from leg kicks soon turned into a medical emergency that required urgent hospitalization in Santiago, Chile.
“I guess it was too hard to tell because I was injured because of the trauma from the kicks,” Volkanovski told during an interview. “But once I went on the plane it went crazy. I had 40+ degree temperatures. I was delirious by then and didn’t really know what was going on.”
The infection caused intense swelling and redness around his foot and ankle, and antibiotics did not work immediately. Doctors were particularly concerned about the infection spreading to his tendons and bones. This scenario that could have resulted in amputation or even death.
“We were really worried about it hitting my tendons and bones,” Volkanovski explained. “Once it does that, you can have problems. We were pretty lucky the plane stopped in Chile. If I’d gotten on the next flight, the damage would have been done and I could have lost the leg.”
Ironically, the infection stemmed from Volkanovski’s own repeated leg kicks against Aldo . By constantly disrupting Aldo’s base and timing, Volkanovski shut down one of the greatest featherweights in MMA history.
Thankfully, the Australian made a full recovery and returned home, resuming light training in the weeks that followed.
Now, years later, Volkanovski once again finds himself on the brink of another major test. With Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2 set to take place in just a week, the champion’s past health scare serves as a reminder of just how much he’s already overcome.
