Is it too late to drain my cauliflower ear?

My ear hurts but I'm not sure if it's cauliflower ear. ?

• I'm currently a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I've been training for almost 2 years. For about the past 3 months the cartilage on my left ear has been painful to the touch. The weird thing is it's not swelling or filling with fluid like I've been told cauliflower ear does. While there is no, and has not been any swelling (that I have noticed), when I compare my ears, the sore area of the left ear cartilage is now bigger than the right. Is this cauliflower ear? If it is and since it's not swelling, how do I stop it from hurting without taking time off the mat?

• Answer:

  Try sparring leading with your other leg (nice practise). Use a head protector (like the ones they use in Taekwondo). Basically avoid any further injury to your ear. See a doctor to check whether you need antibiotics (you may have to take them for three weeks if there is an infection.) Your ear is having perichondritis (inflammation of the cartilage) which is the stage before a cauliflower ear develops.