Austin Bashi left everything in the Octagon at UFC Oklahoma City. Unfortunately for the featherweight prospect, he also left with multiple facial fractures following one of the most grueling battles of his early UFC career.

The 24-year-old lost a hard-fought unanimous decision to Jose Delgado after surviving several powerful shots and pushing the undefeated prospect for all 15 minutes. However, his right eye swelled shut as the fight progressed, and the damage was as bad as it looked during the broadcast. After being taken to the hospital, Bashi updated fans on his health, revealing that he had fractures in both his nose and orbital bone but remained optimistic about his recovery.

“All glory to God!” he wrote on his Instagram. “A little fracture in the nose, a little fracture in the orbital, but we live to fight another day.”

Despite the severe injuries, the featherweight prospect expressed gratitude for the support he received after the loss.

“Thank you so much to all my family, fans, and team for all the love and support. Love and appreciate you all!” he added. “Time to rest a little bit and get straight back to work.

“I love this game and I love what I do. I’ll be back soon. Thank you, @ufc!”

Austin Bashi’s performance was actually far tougher than the final scorecards suggested. He found success early on by hurting Jose Delgado and constantly using his wrestling, but momentum turned quickly when Delgado dropped him with a big right hand before securing another knockdown with a well-timed flying knee later in the first round.

Although Bashi fought back with numerous takedowns and even swept into mount late in the fight, Jose Delgado consistently avoided danger and did enough with his striking to win by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

The defeat brings Austin Bashi’s record inside the Octagon to 1-2 since signing with the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series in early 2025. And while the 24-year-old’s injuries came during the fight, one fighter from the main card of the night admitted that he wasn’t fully healthy even before making the walk to the Octagon.

Kamaru Usman revealed he entered UFC OKC already dealing with injuries

Kamaru Usman headlined UFC Oklahoma City against former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, losing by unanimous decision after five competitive rounds.

Although the scorecards read 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46, the Nigerian veteran showed that he could still compete with one of the UFC’s finest fighters, despite hinting afterward that he had actually entered the bout with pre-existing injuries.

“It’s just me; my ability to do what I want kind of surprised me,” Kamaru Usman said at the post-event press conference. “Like I said, each and every fight, we’re dealing with something, but you guys never hear of it once, especially with me, because most of the time, I’m coming out here victorious, so you never really hear about what you’re dealing with coming in.

“But when you’re dealing with something and it kind of hinders your ability to do what you want to do or fight the way you know you can fight, it kind of sucks a bit.”

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ admitted he wasn’t able to perform exactly how he wanted but refused to use his physical condition as an excuse. But there is no denying that the former UFC welterweight champion did look much smaller than Dricus Du Plessis in this bout, so perhaps he should move back to the division he once ruled.

As for Bashi, the immediate focus shifts toward recovery. Facial fractures generally sideline fighters for several months, depending on their severity, so the featherweight prospect will most likely spend the rest of the year recovering before resuming his climb back into contention in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions.