See the double eye damage that was inflicted on UFC fighter Kowalkiewicz following a mauling by Xianon Yan

UFC fighter Karolina Kowalkiewicz had titanium plate inserted in her broken eye socket following brutal head kick she received during defeat to Xianon Yan at UFC Fight Night in Auckland.

Kowalkiewicz , 34, from Poland, who still hopes to continue her career as a fighter, sustained damage to both of her eyes and has undergone surgery in Warsaw Poland, after being battered during her fight with Yan last month.

Kowalkiewicz posted an emotional video on Instagram last week, saying that surgery was required for her to get better.

Kowalkiewicz also thanked all those who had supported her after she went under the knife in Warsaw, Poland, and a titanium plate was inserted into her right eye.

'Like you see, at the beginning of the first round, I have broken a small bone here. I couldn't see nothing. My vision was double and everything was like in the fog,' she said. 

'After the fight, I spent all day in the hospital. S*** happens. I still love this sport and UFC. Don't worry I'll be OK.'

On Thursday she took to Instagram to state that she hopes to continue her career as a fighter: 'I hope it wasn't my last fight but now I'm focused on my health.' she wrote

The MMA fight between Kowalkiewicz and Yan on February 22, was controversial because the fight was allowed to continue, even after Kowalkiewicz sustained facial scars between the first and second rounds.

The ringside doctor who saw the gruesome marks across her face, allowed the bout to continue and Kowalkiewicz who could barely see, carried on until losing a unanimous verdict, her fourth straight defeat.

Her injuries in the end were so severe she had to stay in New Zealand for a few days wearing an eye patch, before she went home to Poland.