Sports doctor Valentin Belyaevsky, in an interview with , commented on the publication of Irish fighter Conor McGregor on social networks, “diagnosing” Islam Makhachev with staphylococcus infection.
Former UFC lightweight champion McGregor wrote on social networks that the team of the current belt holder Makhachev was infected with staphylococcus. The reason for the publication was noticeable damage to the skin under the left knee of the Russian during an official photo session before UFC 302, where Makhachev will defend his title in a fight with Dustin Poirier. Belyaevsky, who previously worked in Rostov and in the ASV MMA League, disputed the Irishman’s version in a conversation with .
— Is it even possible, from this photo, to say with at least some probability that it is a staph infection?
– We cannot speak of any probability here because it is a photograph. Even if Islam Makhachev were in my office now, I would see him with my own eyes and touch him; we could only say something if we took a smear and did some research. In fact, no one will, because it plays no role.
— So Islam Makhachev just has traces of injury on his leg?
– Yes, you can see the round and smooth edges. It can be seen that it is a boil or something similar. Perhaps he has already been transferred and healed.
—Worst case scenario, could it be something serious?
– Absolutely not. It looks like a small boil. In addition, in such cases we sometimes talk about infectious diseases, for example, phlegmon, but here it looks like inflammation of a hair follicle, without infection of the blood or tissues. This is completely absurd. You can either not touch it at all or open it, empty it and forget about it in two days.
— Why then does Conor write about staphylococcus, and do fighters often post photos with such a problem?
“We have many different bacteria on the surface of our skin. Among them is the most common microbe called “Staphylococcus aureus”. It is the most common inhabitant of our skin; in case of damage, it gets inside and causes, as the simplest example, boiling. Why is everyone talking about him? Because it can be obtained or won through contact during training wrestling. But in principle it can normally be on everyone’s skin. In other words, you don’t have to be infected with it, you already have it. But as long as your skin isn’t damaged, it won’t penetrate you. As soon as you damage the skin and, for example, a decrease in immunity occurs, for example, a disease such as furunculosis can develop. Then they pour here, and there, and there. In different places. That’s all.
— Is it always treated with antibiotics and do antibiotics always affect an athlete’s fitness?
“In such cases, they are almost never treated with antibiotics, because, again, I only see one sore, which means antibiotics are not necessary. If it was already furunculosis, multiple foci, then, most likely, yes. But I agree, antibiotics certainly affect endurance, but not as critically as many people think, ”Belyaevsky told .
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I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
