5 fighters who came back from serious injuries to win UFC gold
MMA is the fastest growing combat sport, and the UFC is the pinnacle of it. Fighters from across the globe duel for supremacy in pursuit of capturing UFC gold and marking themselves in MMA history.
As a sport of sanctioned combat, it is no surprise that fighters, at times, sustain injuries. Most injuries, however, are sustained long before fighters step into the octagon. Though most injuries are minor knicks that fighters endure and perform with, some are more crippling, ending their careers in the blink of an eye.
Some change fighters to such a great extent that they never recapture their former glory and underperform on the way to a declining career. Yet, there are fighters who have suffered serious physical setbacks and managed to not only return to the octagon, but capture championship gold, achieving legendary status.
This list looks at five of those fighters.
#5. Michael Bisping - Former UFC middleweight champion
Now retired, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping was once a consistent performer in the middleweight division.
While his skillset was well-rounded, Bisping's primary approach to every fight entailed overwhelming his opponents with high-volume boxing facilitated by his ceaseless cardio.
Despite his relative success, title shots seemed to elude him. Whenever he slotted into title eliminators to determine the number one contender, victory would slip through his grasp for one reason or another.
Nothing stopped Michael Bisping from having that title wrapped around his waist. Not even a detached retina.
This man is the definition of a Warrior. https://t.co/cNmE0LSMFL
In early 2011, he faced Vitor Belfort, losing via TKO in the second round. The loss was brutal, as Bisping was on the receiving end of a left high kick that detached his retina.
To prevent doctors from potentially keeping him from fighting, Bisping refused to disclose the injury. He went on to face Alan Belcher, claiming a unanimous decision win. However, his right eye worsened. With no choice but to seek medical attention, Bisping underwent eye surgery for his detached retina. After a year away from the sport, he returned and worked his way up the rankings.
After former middleweight champion Chris Weidman pulled out of his rematch against Luke Rockhold, the man who had wrestled the middleweight title from his grasp, Bisping was chosen as a late replacement for the UFC 199 main event.
With a compromised eye, Bisping went on to KO Rockhold, a foe to whom he'd lost once before, in one of the sport's greatest upsets as he finally became the undisputed middleweight champion.