UFC: South Korea’s ‘Fire Fist’ Kim Ji-yeon unknowingly entered Alexa Grasso fight with facial fracture
- ‘The fight will haunt me in my dreams,’ says flyweight Kim, who reveals a post-fight CAT scan found pre-existing damage she had no idea about
- ‘Something was wrong from the middle of the first round. But, in the second, one punch landed clean and I was seeing double’
UFC flyweight Kim Ji-yeon unknowingly entered her last bout with a facial fracture.
The left side of her face was already showing signs of damage after the opening round. Shrugging it off, the 31-year-old “Fire Fist” bit down on her mouthpiece and continued to engage in furious boxing exchanges.
“Something was wrong from the middle of the first round,” Kim told SCMP MMA. “But, in the second, one punch landed clean and I was seeing double from that point on. The injured eye was foggy so when I would swing, my distance would be way off.
“Throughout my career in MMA, kick-boxing, boxing, this has never happened. Since that was the first time I had ever injured my orbital, I was somewhat in a panic and flustered.
“The Alexa Grasso fight will be something that will haunt me in my dreams.”
After 15 minutes of fighting at a fiery pace, Kim’s left eye was almost completely swollen shut.
During the post-fight medical check with UFC doctors, it was revealed she had sustained a broken orbital but that was not the most shocking part.
“The doctors had me take a CAT scan after the fight and they told me that I had pre-existing damage, which I didn’t know about,” Kim said. “It was a small fracture and during the fight with each punch landing it got worse.
“If I had broken it that day, I would have had surgery immediately but the doctors said I can go back to Korea to have the surgery since it was an injury that was already there. They were saying the damage was a lot worse because I already had a slight fracture there.”
When the Incheon native returned home she faced complications, which delayed the surgery to October.
“I had to quarantine for two weeks on my arrival and there was an ongoing doctor’s strike so I had no way of scheduling my surgery,” Kim added. “Luckily, a doctor friend of mine hooked me up with a connection and I was able to get a reservation. The delay has affected my recovery.”
With the stitches out and her rehab in full swing, a return in April or May seems to be in the cards. When pitched the idea of facing Ariane Lipski, another striker in the flyweight division, she seemed very intrigued.
“I have seen a couple of her fights and she possesses some clean striking,” Kim said. “To be honest, I always thought that we would meet eventually down the line. She is definitely an opponent I would like to face.
“But I have my eyes on every fighter in the division. If the offer comes I will take the fight. Whoever it is, I will take the fight.”
