Off the back of his undisputed lightweight title defense against Dustin Poirier overnight in New Jersey, Islam Makhachev has confirmed he entered his UFC 302 main event return battlting with a staph infection in his leg, amid speculation over an apparent injury during fight week.
Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight champion and pound-for-pound number one ranked fighter in the organization, successfully defended his title overnight in a return to action against ex-interim gold holder, Poirier.
Dealing with some significant adversity in their matchup in Newark, Makhachev dealt with a massive laceration on his forehead in the fourth round – with Poirier slicing the Russian with a sharp elbow during a scramble in the frame.