Kamaru Usman went under the knife on Monday to repair a hand injury, UFC president Dana White confirmed after posting gruesome images of the welterweight king's paw during surgery.

Usman, 34, broke his right hand just three weeks prior to his UFC 268 clash with Colby Covington last November, but opted not to delay the bout and went on to win by unanimous decision.

The Nigerian Nightmare endured a superb 2021, fighting and defending his welterweight title on three separate occasions, but his hand injury makes it unlikely that he will be as active in 2022.

WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW. 

And UFC chief White has provided an update to fans on Twitter, sharing images of Usman's hand being prised open as surgeons sought to help fix his injury.  

'Pound for pound best fighter in the world @USMAN84kg had hand ligament surgery today. This is the before and after. See you soon CHAMP,' he tweeted alongside the gruesome pictures of the UFC star's hand.

The 34-year-old's next move remains clouded by uncertainty. Britain's Leon Edwards is the leading contender to challenge Usman for his title, having enjoyed an 11-fight unbeaten streak.

Yet Usman's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has hinted that his fighter may move up and challenge at a heavier weight class. 

The Nigerian Nightmare recently said he would be interested in challenging for the 205-pound title, while Abdelaziz has suggested Usman could take on friend and middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. 

Adesanya, 32, defends his 185-pound belt at UFC 271 this weekend against Robert Whittaker, with the Australian entering this mouthwatering clash off the back of wins over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum.