5 most gruesome injuries in UFC history
The UFC has hosted some of the most brutal battles in MMA history. While the taboos concerning mixed martial arts are gradually fading away, it still involves the obvious risks. Needless to say, the UFC has seen its fair share of injuries inside the octagon over the years.
While every fighter might come off with a few scars and blemishes after a bout, there are some wounds that leave a mark on not only the victim, but any spectator as well. Taking that as a warning, let's take a look at five of the most gruesome injuries in UFC history.
#5 Most gruesome injury in UFC history: Jon Jones
Jon Jones faced Chael Sonnen for the UFC light heavyweight title in the UFC 159 headliner. Going into the bout as a heavy favorite, Jones came out victorious with less than 30 seconds to go in the opening round.
While celebrating yet another successful title defense, Jon Jones would realize that he had dislocated the big toe of his left foot. Inexplicably, Jon Jones was able to conduct his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan even though he looked visibly in pain. Joe Rogan told Jones:
"You are a true champion for even attempting to make this work, while you deal with one of the nastiest foot injuries I’ve ever seen"
#4 Most gruesome injury in UFC history: Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Weili Zhang went to absolute war for the UFC strawweight title at UFC 248. Though Zhang retained the title in a razor-thin split decision, the five-round battle will go down as one of the greatest fights in UFC history.
During the fight, Joanna suffered a nasty haematoma over her right eye that gave her an 'alien' like appearance. Reflecting on the incident in a later interview, Joanna told BT Sport:
"I was like ‘holy moly’. I looked like a zombie. But I knew that I would heal. I was more mad at myself because I wanted to have a few nice days in Vegas with my friends and family. But this is the price we pay. I’ve been doing this for 17 years so I know the game."
After the fight, Joanna Jedrzejczyk returned to Poland to undergo plastic surgery and has made a complete recovery since then.
#3 Most gruesome injury in UFC history: Alistair Overeem
'The Demolition Man' suffered one of the worst injuries in history during his 2019 clash against Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Despite leading most of the action during the fight, Alistair Overeem was sent flying to the canvas during the final seconds of the fight by a vicious uppercut from Rozenstruik.
The huge right hand also split Overeem's upper lip into two, and there is a famous image of the 'Reem' smiling through the gash. Alistair Overeem's lip miraculously healed after surgery, basically leaving no trace of the prior injury.
#2 Most gruesome injury in UFC history: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Nearly three years after defeating Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92, Frank Mir faced him in a rematch at UFC 140. While many believed that Mir had gotten lucky in the first meeting, the former heavyweight champion proved his doubters wrong, gaining mount and locking in a kimura during the very first round.
'Minotauro' Nogueira showed extreme grit, while his arm was bent at unnatural angles and finally snapped. Considered to be one of the most gruesome injuries in MMA history, it took 16 screws to fix Nogueira's broken arm.
#1 Most gruesome injury in UFC history: Anderson Silva
The most famous injury in UFC history came during Anderson Silva's rematch against Chris Wiedman at UFC 168. Five months earlier, Wiedman had shocked the MMA world by capturing the UFC middleweight title as Silva's showboating cost him dearly the first time.
Looking to avenge his loss, 'The Spider' would go on to suffer a gut-wrenching injury as Wiedman successfully defended his title for the first time. Silva would throw one of his signature leg kicks in the second round, and Wiedman checked it perfectly. The block was so perfect that Silva's leg bent sideways like rubber as he recoiled in agony. Chris Wiedman raised his hands in celebration as the fight was immediately stopped.