Dan Hooker has the battle scars to prove just how brutal his epic five-round war with Dustin Poirer.
The two UFC warriors clashed in one of the best lightweight fights ever on Sunday, with Poirer edging the victory via unanimous decision in Las Vegas.
Both Hooker and Poirer were visibly battered after 25 minutes of attrition, with the Kiwi requiring several stitches above his right eye.
But Hooker has revealed on social media that he has been cleared of serious facial injuries.
"I got checked out of the hospital," Hooker said. "Everything's all good, just a couple of stitches on the eye, but hey that's the game we play.
"No worries, it's just a small setback. I'll be back."
A win for 'The Hangman' would have propelled him into a likely UFC title shot later in the year, but that was never going to be easy against the world's No.3 contender.
'The Diamond' has dispatched former lightweight champions Anthony Pettis and Eddie Alvarez, and stopped current interim champion Justin Gaethje during a three-year run, where the 31-year-old has lost just once in eight fights.
That sole loss was against champion Khabib Nurmagomedov last September, but if Sunday's instant classic is anything to go by, he will fight for the championship again soon.
Hooker has nothing to be ashamed off and appeared on course for victory after two rounds, scoring a shutout on all three judges scorecards and nearly finishing the fight at the end of round two.
"He hit me square with a knee and I flashed out for a second," Poirer said afterwards.
"When I came to, he was throwing hooks at me. I saw the ref and didn't know how much time was left.
"We regrouped and came back stronger. That's fighting.
"A fight isn't a fight until there's something to overcome. We fought tonight."
Nurmagomedov and Gaethje are set to battle in August or September for the undisputed lightweight title.
