Jack Della Maddalena talks staph infection – “It was just like a little pimple on my knee”
While speaking on the Grin Reapers Podcast, UFC star Jack Della Maddalena revealed that he was battling a staph infection heading into his UFC 299 fight against Gilbert Burns.
“I had staph just heading into, just before we left,” Della Maddalena revealed. “It was Wednesday the week before fight week, I was on antibiotics. I think it was like, really sore the weekend before.
“It had gotten quite a lot better, so I was thinking, ‘The antibiotics are obviously working.’ It was just like a little pimple on my knee. My knee swelled up. It was just painful. I just didn’t really train. Just chilled for the first four days we were there (in Miami).”
Della Maddalena improved his professional mixed martial arts record to 17-2 with a third-round finish over Burns but his coach said it didn’t come easy.
“Let’s be honest: You limped on to the plane with staph,” coach Ben Vickers said. “He limped on to the plane on antibiotics the Wednesday before fight week. We’ve got guys pulling out of fights two weeks out with staph. Jack was never going to pull out. But unfortunately, we lost a week of training.”
Staph Infections, Herpes Simplex and Impetigo
Gyms (free weights, mats, etc.), locker rooms and bathrooms (anywhere were sweat can settle) are breeding grounds for staph. MRSA, which shows up as a red bump, pimple, or boil, is a particularly resistant type of staph that is easy to spread. Once again, make sure to wipe down surfaces. Avoid bringing your gym bag into your home without wiping it down with antibacterial wipes, since you could be introducing germs to others in your family. Herpes simplex, a virus which can result in blisters, can also be spread by sharing items, as can impetigo (which results in a blister or crust that is usually treated topically).
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