Before ➡ after.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 8, 2020
UNREAL 😳 #UFC248 pic.twitter.com/WCy13lyTxW
Are you wondering what happened to Joanna Jedrjezcyzk’s forehead after her fight with Zhang Weili at UFC 248?
In this article, we’ll examine what happened to Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s forehead and how her forehead healed.
Contents
What Happened to Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s Forehead?
After her fight against Zhang Weili at UFC 248 (2020), Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s forehead swole up due to a hematoma.
A hematoma is the result of a traumatic injury to the skin or the tissue and blood vessels underneath. This caused the swelling which formed on Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s forehead.
Hematomas on the forehead (or bleeding) are common among UFC fighters because the forehead has a large blood supply due to the high amount of blood vessels, and these have no muscle and very little fat protecting them, as well as a very thin layer of skin which is easily cut.
So, when these blood vessels are torn open and the blood vessel wall breaks, the blood accumulates into the surrounding tissue to create swelling and give the skin a rubbery and lumpy feel.
The swelling appeared in the third round after a ferociously landed right cross by Zhang Weili. The hematoma increased in size as Weili continued to land punches to Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s forehead for another two rounds to complete the full 25 minutes.
Zhang Weili landed 165 significant strikes on Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and Zhang’s one of the hardest-hitting strawweights in the UFC. Combined, they landed 351 strikes which is the third-highest in UFC history.
Caused by the extra damage after the third round, the hematoma swelling spread across Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s forehead.
The hematoma was feared to be a bad injury, so she was hospitalized after the fight and the Nevada State Athletic Commission gave her a 60-day medical suspension until May 7th.
60 days are the minimum compulsory medical suspension MMA fighters are given if they suffer a facial laceration or similar facial injury, but can be reduced if cleared by a doctor.
Joanna believed she could be left badly scarred. However, Joanna was discharged the next day, and the hematoma swelling was fully healed in just 2 days. The bruising on her face was fully gone two weeks later.
To soften the blow, both fighters took home an extra $50,000 courtesy of a Fight of the Night bonus.
How Was Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s Forehead Healed?
Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s forehead was healed at the hospital immediately after the fight. They used compression and ice to help constrict the blood vessels and stop the swelling.
They may have even made an incision or used a syringe to drain some of the blood to reduce the swelling.
Joanna was released from the hospital the next day, where she rested and continued icing the hematoma until the swelling and bruising had gone away.
Here’s a video of Joanna one week after the fight, explaining how her injury healed.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk's recovery update 7 days after her all-time great fight against Zhang Weili. (via https://t.co/tQvu40SEUN) pic.twitter.com/oA945X2Z0v
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) March 15, 2020
