It’s a little difficult to find replays of Jake Hager’s most recent outing in Dana White’s Power Slap, his third with the promotion since signing up back in March. White says he ordered his production team not to replay Hager’s Sept. 18 loss to independent pro wrestler Johnny Magna because the former WWE and AEW talent appeared to be bleeding from the eye after Magna’s second slap.
UFC president White speculated that Hager’s tear duct had ruptured, and said the doctors on-site in Lubbock, Texas had never seen an injury like it before.
Later that night, White and Hager’s fiancee, fellow Power Slap-er Patricia Blackburn, said the former Jack Swagger had already undergone emergency surgery.
At a press conference yesterday (Sept. 22), White gave an additional update:
“He went into emergency surgery that night, and then we’re sending him to a specialist down in Miami.”
The promoter would go on to say, “there’s lots of unfortunate things that happen in combat sports” and that “other than having great fights” the only thing he cares about is keeping fighters and slappers “safe and healthy.”
When Hager signed up to take and give unprotected palm strikes to the head, he said:
“I expect injuries to happen. I know UFC does a great job of covering all expenses related to the injuries. I’m not worried about it, to be honest.”
