Hospital says no broken arm for Ben Rothwell after Alistair Overeem kick

LEDYARD, Conn. – Heavyweight Ben Rothwell (34-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC) earned one of the biggest wins of his career on Friday by knocking out Alistair Overeem  (37-14 MMA, 2-3 UFC), but he didn’t walk away unscathed.

Before dropping the ex-Strikeforce champ in the UFC Fight Night 50 co-headliner, Rothwell suffered severe swelling and nerve damage in his right arm when he blocked a kick from Alistair Overeem, his manager Monte Cox told MMAjunkie.

Rothwell initially told FOX Sports that he broke his right arm, but Cox said a visit to an area hospital downgraded the severity of the injury.

“I ate a kick, didn’t block it properly, and he broke it,” Rothwell said. “I had a feeling that something could have been wrong. That’s the good thing about a fight –adrenaline going.”

UFC Fight Night 50 took place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn. The four-fight main card aired on FOX Sports 1 following five prelims on the same channel.

Rothwell will get something to soothe his pain, however. The UFC awarded him a $50,000 bonus for “Performance of the Night,” his second such honor since debuting in the octagon. At UFC 145, he earned a “Knockout of the Night” award for stopping Brendan Schaub.

In the wake of his win, Rothwell, a heavy underdog leading into the fight, did a victory dance and said, “I’m feeling like you just witnessed what happens when you just believe in yourself.”

Overeem dropped to 1-3 in his past four outings after a decision over ex-champ Frank Mir in his previous outing at UFC 169. He was staggered by a right uppercut from Rothwell before a right hand clipped his temple as he threw a left hook. The fight was called off at the 2:19 mark of the first round.

Rothwell returned to action after a yearlong layoff in the wake of a UFC suspension for elevated testosterone levels. He failed a post-fight drug test after stopping Brandon Vera at UFC 164. The former IFL fighter undoubtedly will need doctor clearance before he can fight again, and he could be out several months depending on the severity of his injury.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 50, check out the UFC Events section of the site.