Image: Octopi Media.

New Zealand teenager Cole Davies has undergone successful surgery on his thumb after managing a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) since Charlotte, which ended his night early at the Las Vegas SMX Final.

After crashing out of Salt Lake City’s closing round of Supercross and sustaining multiple injuries, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Davies – the 250SX Rookie of the Year – made a return to racing late in Pro Motocross.

Incidents ultimately marred his 2025 SMX post-season, with a high-speed crash in qualifying at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – which was preceded by another incident in race one – drew an early end to his weekend.

“I’ve been dealing with a torn UCL ligament in my thumb since Charlotte, and it’s definitely made riding tough these past few weeks,” commented the 18-year-old. “We tried to push through, but ultimately surgery had to be done.

“The procedure went really well, and recovery is now on track. It’s been a bit of tough luck lately, but I won’t stop fighting – my eyes are already on Melbourne for AUSX and the 2026 season.”

The highly-rated Davies finished eighth in the single moto contested in Charlotte, before collecting 11th overall at St. Louis’ SMX Playoff 2. As a result of his non-finish on Saturday night, Davies completed 250SMX in 17th position.