On Friday, UFC heavyweight contender Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira went under the knife to repair injuries sustained during his submission loss to Frank Mir in their rematch, which served as the co-main event of UFC 140: “Jones vs. Machida” last Saturday night in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The following is from Nogueira’s official blog:
“Mr. Nogueira suffered a complex fracture to his humerus. The fracture began in the middle of the bone and extended to the elbow region. Unfortunately, the radial nerve [one of the main nerves lending a feeling of power to the hands] was damaged. The nerve is located in the area of the fracture, and the bone compressed it. Before the operation, he had very little strength in his hand and no strength whatsoever in his thumb. The operation involved an incision behind the arm. The nerve was removed from the location of the fracture and treated. The fracture was fixed with a plate and 16 screws, and now, less than 12 hours post-op, his hand functions are returning and the bone is mending. If all goes well, he’ll be back to full training in the coming months and should be 100-percent to fight in six months or less. We foresee him making a complete and full recovery.”