'The Baltic Gladiator' suffered which could have been a career that had ended an injury in the Achthoek.
Modestas Bukauskas has established itself in the light heavyweight division of the UFC during his second point with the promotion where fans have seen him evolve.
Now training next to Tom Aspinall, the Lithuanian Londoner has gone 3-1 since he returned to the Octagon in 2023, but this did not always look like it would be on the cards.
Bukauskas suffered one of the worst injuries that we ever saw in the Octagon in September 2021, where he stood opposite Khalil Rountree.
After he collapsed to the ground after a devastating side kick, it seemed that he may never fight again, let alone compete at the highest level.
Modestas Bukauskas conquered his injury and worked its way back to the UFC stronger than ever
In an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA hour in 2023, Modestas Bukauskas revealed how several already existing injuries led to his loss against Khalil Rountree.
His plan was to endure this fight before he urgently attended the injuries, but this ended back with the Baltic Gladiator.
“In essence, the meniscus then tore off the bone and the ACL they said seemed a little tooth floss, they said it was literally at the end and the MCL was also completely gone. This is why my physio, when she went to the operation, she said she has never seen such a complicated operation because they had to do so many things about it, but I had the best doctors in London. UFC, absolutely great, they treated the operation, so I was very grateful. '
During the recovery of surgery, Bukauskas also learned via a UFC scheduler account on social media that he had been cut out of the schedule with his loss to Rountree as third in a row.
“I have probably experienced the worst time in my life, only because of that injury and the third loss and I would literally just have disappeared from all my dreams that came to all my dreams that just crash and splash in my face. ”
Unbelievable, just over a year after his injury at the UFC Apex, Bukauskas returned to the competition in his former house of Cage Warriors, where after back-to-back victories he became a double light heavyweight champion in the promotion.
When the UFC needed a replacement opponent for Tyson Pedro on UFC 284, only two months after Bukauskas won the title, the 31-year-old got his second shot and made the opportunity to increase his hand through a unanimous decision.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
Modestas Bukauskas returns to UFC Seattle on February 22
Modestas Bukauskas is looking for his fifth victory in the Octagon when he returns this Saturday evening to the Climate Plede Arena.
After having had a difficult loss for Vitor Petrino in Brazil, he has since returned with a submission of the victory over Marcin Prachnio at UFC 304 in Manchester in July.
Bukauskas will now accept Raffael Cerqueira who did not get the chance to show his skills during his UFC debut last October at UFC 308.
The Brazilian was stopped in just 50 seconds by Ibo Aslan, who also returns on 22 February to compete against Ion Cutelaba.
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