SOUTH Coast UFC star Alex Volkanovski remains in a hospital in Chile, being treated for a blood infection.
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His condition is stable and he is responding well to the treatment, his manager Rhys Dal Sin said.
As a precaution, he will remain under supervision at the hospital and will be re-assessed in 48 hours to ensure the infection is completely under control before given any clearance to travel home, Mr Dal Sin said.
Volkanovski, a former Warilla-Lake South Gorilla, was due to land in Sydney at 9.40am on Wednesday but was unable to board his connecting flight from Chile.
"Upon leaving the hotel in Rio de Janeiro at approximately 2pm on Monday, Alex complained of sore feet, redness of his left foot and feeling unwell," his manager said on Tuesday night.
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"Upon beginning the journey home to Australia, Alex's condition worsened during the flight."
He was suffering a fever and increased swelling of the foot and leg and taken to hospital.
Hundreds of Illawarra fans packed pubs on Sunday to watch the home-town hero's unanimous decision win over Brazilian legend Jose Aldo in Rio on Sunday.
He won all three rounds on all three judges scorecards to silence a parochial home crowd and hand the future hall-of-famer a defeat in the penultimate bout of his storied career.
The 30-year-old Shellharbour products leg kicks and superior work rate proved the story of the bout, out-landing Aldo in significant strikes 95-29.
Volkanovski's next bout was highly tipped to be for the featherweight title but news reports today suggest he has been overlooked as Max Holloway set to face Frankie Edgar at UFC 240.