Rachael Ostovich Undergoing Tests For Arm Injury Following UFC Brooklyn

UFC women’s flyweight contender Rachael Ostovich showed a ton of courage in just showing up to take on Paige VanZant at Saturday’s (January 19, 2019) UFC on ESPN+ 1 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Unfortunately for her, however, things didn’t work out how she wanted them to. After an impressive first round where she seemingly took VanZant down at will, “12 Gauge” turned the tables with a vicious armbar to secure the victory.

Ostovich immediately tapped when the hold was sunk, and it looked rough. VanZant appeared to have put all of her weight on Ostovich’s arm, bending it with a ton of pressure. Many wondered how serious the damage to her arm was, and rightfully so.

ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported that Ostovich’s manager told him she had hyperextended her elbow. She will undergo more tests when she got back home to Hawaii:

Rachael Ostovich hyperextended her left arm in her second-round armbar submission loss to Paige VanZant Saturday night in Brooklyn, according to her manager Brian Butler. She will undergo further tests when she returns home to Hawaii later this week.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 21, 2019

Ostovich was at the center of a hotbed of controversy heading into this fight. She was allegedly attacked by MMA fighter husband Arnold Berdon late last year and suffered a broken orbital bone. Initially she pulled out of her fight with VanZant but then recommitted after receiving a second opinion from her doctor.

She wanted to show people, and women in particular, that they could rise above adversity and carry on. For that, she absolutely deserves respect and admiration. VanZant even noted just that after the fight. But she’s going to be out a significant amount of time due to the result of the fight.

Ostovich seems upbeat and positive about moving forward despite the loss.

With her private life becoming extremely public in the last few months, she admitted it had been crazy. The loss added to that, but it was only one bad day, she said. No one can blame her based on what she’s been through in the last few months.

However, with an overall MMA record of 4-5, her UFC run could be on thin ice. The promotion will most likely give her at least one more shot based on what she went through to compete in Brooklyn – and the headlines she brings.