Nikolas Motta needed to go underneath the knife after a conflict with Nazim Sadykhov this previous month at UFC Baku in Azerbaijan. The light-weight duo received $100,000 in bonus every for the very best battle of the night time, however Motta returned house with a second-round knockout loss and a broken jaw.
“I believe early in spherical two, I acquired hit with a cross and felt, ‘F*ck, that one damage,’” Motta informed MMA Combating. “I felt my tooth type of shifting. I assumed it broke my tooth. After the battle we all the time need to go to the hospital for exams after you lose by TKO or KO, and once they did the examination it confirmed two fractures on my jaw.”
Motta was scheduled to return to Thailand after the occasion, the place the place he did his camp this time, however as an alternative travelled to Las Vegas to fulfill with a specialist and verify on the harm. Motta stated {that a} dentist defined {that a} cyst brought on by a knowledge tooth made his jaw extra fragile, which ultimately led to the fracture.
“It sucked, I couldn’t chew something,” Motta laughed. “So I got here to Vegas and had the surgical procedure.”
Picture through Nikolas Motta
Motta is anticipated to have three different knowledge tooth eliminated in a few months, after which put together to begin a brand new coaching camp. The fighter stated that the restoration timetable for the jaw surgical procedure is eight week, and the knowledge tooth process ought to require per week off.
“He did the surgical procedure and put a titanium plate to get it again in place,” Motta stated. “Humorous factor is, Rafael dos Anjos despatched me an X-ray of his face and it’s stuffed with titanium plates. He stated, ‘Brother, I nonetheless turned champion after that.’”
The Brazilian light-weight joked he’s like “The Terminator” after the surgical procedure, and celebrates the $100,000 bonus now that he will probably be pressured to sit down out for a while.
“My aim was to placed on the very best efficiency of my life,” Motta stated. “Earlier than I walked out for the battle, I talked to my coach, ‘I’m getting a bonus now. How a lot do I’ve to pay you? Do I’ve to pay a proportion of the bonus?’ And he stated, ‘No, you don’t have to.’ My supervisor was making enjoyable later, ‘Motherf*cker, Motta acquired me’ [laughs].”
Motta needs he had left UFC Baku with the win however doubts he would nonetheless be paid that a lot in bonus if that was the case. He was using a two-fight successful streak going into that match, a knockout over Tom Nolan and a choice towards Maheshate Hayisaer, and felt “extra free” to placed on the kind of efficiency he wished with out feeling that his job was on the road.
“I’m too f*cking aggressive, we all the time wish to win,” Motta stated. “However there are occasions the place we fear an excessive amount of in regards to the future and the consequence and we find yourself not combating so properly. I believe that has helped me get that nervousness away, not being too anxious in regards to the consequence and the longer term. It type of made me extra free to battle one of the simplest ways potential.”
