Chris Weidman, Dustin Poirier, and Jorge Masvidal opened up about the physical toll of their careers, covering titanium rods, bone pins, and nose surgeries. Weidman described having a titanium rod inserted into his leg after his fracture, noting it offers no striking advantage and that metal implants in his hands cause him pain when punching. Poirier revealed he had a pin inserted for a broken hand, described the painful extraction process after six to eight weeks, and disclosed that a rib from a donor was used to reconstruct his nasal septum — a procedure that left him weighing whether to skip a third nose surgery in order to fight Max Holloway, fearing a fourth operation could cut off blood supply entirely.
Three veteran fighters pulled back the curtain on the physical cost of long careers in mixed martial arts, with Chris Weidman, Dustin Poirier, and Jorge Masvidal sharing candid accounts of surgeries, hardware implants, and the difficult decisions that come with competing at the highest level.
Weidman, 42, holds a 16-8 record and built his legacy as one of the sport's premier grapplers, averaging 3.27 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career with the Serra-Longo Fight Team. The six-foot-two middleweight described the titanium rod surgeons inserted into his leg following his well-documented fracture, making clear the implant carries no competitive advantage. He also noted that metal hardware in his hands causes him pain every time he throws a punch.
Poirier, 37, carries a 30-10 record and has spent years among the lightweight division's elite, landing significant strikes at a rate of 5.24 per minute with 50 percent accuracy. The five-foot-nine southpaw from American Top Team revealed he had a pin placed in a broken hand, recounting the painful process of having it removed after six to eight weeks. Perhaps more striking was his disclosure about nasal reconstruction: surgeons used bone from a donor rib to rebuild his septum. Poirier admitted he weighed skipping a third nose surgery in order to stay on course for a fight with Max Holloway, concerned that a fourth procedure could permanently compromise blood supply.
That potential opponent, Holloway, carries a 27-9 record and sits fourth in the lightweight rankings at number nine pound-for-pound. The five-foot-eleven Hawaiian averages an eye-catching 7.2 significant strikes per minute.
Why it matters
- Poirier's medical disclosures raise real questions about his availability and timeline heading toward a Holloway matchup
- Weidman's hardware complications offer rare transparency about how structural injuries affect an active fighter's training
- The conversation highlights the cumulative toll absorbed by long-tenured fighters across multiple weight classes and championship runs
