Australian boxer Zerafa suffered damage to his eye socket in a fight with Nikita Tszyu

Australian boxer Michael Zerafa revealed on January 17 that he suffered damage to his eye socket and retina as a result of an accidental head clash with Nikita Tszyu in a fight for the WBO title.

"As a result of an accidental head clash, I lost the ability to see with one eye," Zerafa wrote on Instagram (owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation), posting a video where they sew up his wound.

In the post, Zerafa also expressed respect for Nikita Tszyu and confidence that their fight could be a bright show. The boxer spent the night in the hospital, where he was diagnosed, in addition to a dissection, with injuries to his eye socket and retina.

"This is boxing, I'm just as disappointed as all of you, and I apologize. <...> Declaring the fight invalid was a bitter event, especially when I felt like we were just getting started," the athlete added.

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The fight between Nikita Tszyu, the son of former absolute world champion Konstantin Tszyu, and Australian Michael Zerafa in Brisbane on January 16 was declared invalid. It was clarified that the rivals clashed heads in the second round. The doctor assessed Zerafa's condition during the break and recommended the referee to stop the fight. The decision to stop the fight caused confusion among the boxers.