Alex Caceres completed his UFC Singapore fight against Giga Chikadze despite suffering a broken forearm in the opening round, ultimately losing in a unanimous decision.
Alex Caceres displayed penchant resilience in his fight against Giga Chikadze at the UFC Singapore recently, making it to the final horn despite having a broken forearm from the very first round. The veteran featherweight ultimately lost a unanimous decision, however, this didn’t withhold him from fighting the tough battle. He revealed an x-ray showing the damage done, along with sharing that the injury took place in the opening round. This was first reported by Ariel Helwani on Saturday.
Caceres recognized the tough battle and praised his opponent while sharing his thoughts on Instagram. He wrote, “Tonight wasn’t my night. I broke my forearm blocking a head kick in the first round and tried my best to win even through the pain. Hats off to Giga Chikadze for a great fight.” He also showed his broken forearm via an x-ray image which clearly showed the snapped bone in his forearm.
Chikadze, on the other hand, appreciated Caceres’ performance as well, and added, “You’re such a warrior! Fast recovery and God bless.” He further demonstrated sportsmanship by sharing a photo with Caceres at the hospital as both fighters were receiving treatment subsequent the fight. It’s worth mentioning that the fight marked Chikadze’s return to action after 18 months, but he swiftly returned to his vintage form as he unleashed a barrage of fierce striking combinations over the course of the three-round fight.
Known for his power-packed kicks which were thrown early and often in the fight, Chikadze was evidently the source of the injury Caceres sustained in the first round. Regardless, Caceres managed to tough it out for 15 minutes but the result didn’t go in his favor as Chikadze secured the nod on the judges’ scorecards. Caceres’ loss has halted his two-fight win streak which included victories over Daniel Pineda and Julian Erosa. While the recovery duration for his broken forearm remains uncertain, ex-UFC fighter Paige VanZant went through a similar injury necessitating surgery. Chikadze, on the contrary, has reclaimed his winning streak following a loss to Calvin Kattar in his previous fight, marking his first defeat since joining the UFC roster.