Ever wonder what a wired jaw looks like? Let UFC vet John Makdessi show you

John Makdessi is making the best of a bad situation – and even making it an educational one.

Makdessi (13-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC), a veteran UFC lightweight, is on the mend after filling in as a late replacement and suffering a broken jaw in a loss to Donald Cerrone (28-6 MMA, 15-3 UFC) this past month at UFC 187.

The pay-per-view fight was stopped late in the second round when Cerrone connected on a head kick and broke his opponent’s jaw. Here’s a look at the crushing blow (via Vine), which forced an immediate tap from Makdessi, who was fighting for the second time in 28 days:

Makdessi had successful surgery two days after the Las Vegas event. This week, he posted some videos to show his progress and what it’s like dealing with a jaw that’s wired shut as it heals (via Twitter):

He’s also had to modify his eating habits (via Instagram):

1week down 5 to go! Pretty much my meals…not so fun but still eating (drinking??) clean. Back to some light training but I can't wait to bite into a steak again!! Thank you for your continuos messages. Love my fans! #ufcfighter #johnmakdessi

A video posted by JohnTheBull Makdessi (@johnmakdessi) on Jun 2, 2015 at 1:10pm PDT

Prior to the loss to Cerrone, against whom Makdessi was a heavy underdog, the 30-year-old Canadian was on a 4-1 run that included knockout victories over Shane Campbell and Renee Forte. He hasn’t given a timetable for his next fight, but he recently returned to training at Tristar Gym (via Instagram):

Building my #legacy and nothing will stop me. I'll be back smarter and stronger. Thank you to the continuous support from my fans and sponsors @corenutritionals , Ben Hoffman and thank you to my management @empiresportmtking and #teambull !

A video posted by JohnTheBull Makdessi (@johnmakdessi) on Jun 4, 2015 at 2:18pm PDT

For more on UFC 187, check out the UFC Events section of the site.