Segura out of danger

MANILA, Philippines - Former WBO/WBA lightflyweight champion Giovani Segura of Mexico has been cleared to fight again, according to a reliable source from the hospital where he was confined for four days after he was stopped by defending WBO flyweight titleholder Brian Viloria in the eighth round at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig last Sunday.

Segura, 29, was discharged from the hospital yesterday and is scheduled to leave Manila for Mexico today. A team of three medical specialists attended to Segura who was rushed to the hospital shortly after referee Samuel Viruet stepped in to halt the fight at 0:29 of the eighth. Viruet said if he hadn’t stopped it, Segura would’ve been in a serious life-threatening situation. Segura ended the bout with a huge swelling on the right side of his face, shutting his right eye. He was also cut over the eye. The medical team that treated Segura was composed of an ophthalmologist specializing in orbital damage, a neurologist and an ear-nose-throat doctor. For ethical reasons, the identities of the doctors were withheld by the source.

It was initially feared that Segura had suffered a fracture of the orbital floor of the facial skeleton. But the source said the fight caused a significant hematoma with no fracture. No surgery was required.

“There may have been a fracture near the eye from a previous fight,” said the source. “But the fight itself caused no fracture. The old fracture was also not aggravated. The finding was no functional difficulty. Otherwise, surgery would be recommended. Besides, not all fractures require surgery. If the fracture is non-structural and has no soft tissue damage, then natural healing will take place.”

Segura was confined for four days under close observation because doctors wanted to make sure of his condition. It will take two weeks for the swelling to completely subside. As of yesterday, the hematoma had gone down to half its original size.

“You can’t tell if there is a fracture from a lump by touching it,” said the source. “Sometimes, if there’s a lot of blood, the welt becomes quite dense. As the swelling subsides, it softens.” Viruet, a veteran referee, said he suspected a fracture when he felt the lump was hard.

The source said Segura was in good spirits when doctors reassessed his condition yesterday. “He’s doing very well now,” said the source. “The likelihood is the swelling started in the scalp then went down to the forehead and cheek. There was no fracture in the scalp. The swelling actually looked worse than it was. Because the lump was large, Segura’s condition appeared to be alarming. He was kept in the hospital because it was important to get assured he was okay.”

Segura received intravenous fluids as a matter of hospital routine but was not given special medication. He was reportedly not in pain but had to be uncomfortable due to the swelling and obstructed vision. No blood was drained from the swelling.

The source said the doctors who attended to Segura had treated mixed martial arts fighters with more severe injuries caused by direct trauma to the eye or actual fractures of the orbital socket. The source added that it will take at least six weeks before Segura could go back to the gym and resume sparring with no danger to the eye.

Segura and his team, including manager Richard Mota and trainer Javier Capetillo, were initially scheduled to leave last Monday.  The entire team stayed until Segura’s discharge. The Mexican promotions outfit Zanfer shouldered the team’s expenses for the extra days stay at the Midas Hotel.     

Before the Viloria fight, Segura showed no respect for the Hawaiian Punch. Asked to name the best “small” fighters in the world today, he singled out WBA lightflyweight champion Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua, IBF lightflyweight titlist Ulises Solis of Mexico and himself. Segura left out Viloria’s name even if he had stopped Solis in 2009. Viloria has surely earned Segura’s respect now.

As for the future, Segura recently said he could go up to the superflyweight division. “There are also good fighters at 115,” said Segura, quoted by David Mayo in The Ring Magazine. “I think I could do good there. I always spar and work with bigger guys than me and I have the power for that division. I think I have the height and the body to grow into 115.” Segura wouldn’t want to cross paths with Viloria in the flyweight division again.