Sage Northcutt 'getting better' after facial surgery

Sage Northcutt remains in a Singapore hospital recovering from facial surgery following the first knockout loss of his career, but he took to Instagram on Wednesday to assure fans that he's improving.

"Getting better, thanks for all the prayers!" the Team Alpha Male product said.

Northcutt endured a nine-hour surgery to repair eight facial fractures after being knocked out by Cosmo Alexandre in his ONE Championship debut May 17. The Texas native didn't provide a timetable of his return to the cage or when he's returning to the United States.

The 23-year-old's coach, former UFC title challenger Urijah Faber, provided more details on Northcutt's injury on "The MMA Hour."

"Sage went one way and then the other way, first time in a ring, and literally gets manhandled with the nastiest punch and crushes his whole face," Faber explained. "Basically splintered his cheek into 30 pieces and broke his orbital bone. He had eight different fractures and literally they had to pick the pieces of the bone fragments out, 30 different pieces out of his face."

Northcutt, along with former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez, both lost their ONE Championship debuts after signing marquee contracts with the promotion.