5 of the nastiest-looking injuries in UFC history
The UFC is no place for the faint-hearted. Naturally, every time a fighter steps into the octagon, they’re risking life and limb on a quest for fans, money and fame.
While the UFC quite rightly prides itself on its excellent fighter safety record, we have seen a number of nasty injuries inside the octagon that have made fans wince over the years.
Thankfully these kinds of injuries are not a common occurrence in the UFC, but when they do happen, it’s both nasty to see and hard to take your eyes off.
With this mind, here are five of the nastiest-looking injuries in UFC history.
#5. Conor McGregor – broken ankle – UFC 264
Conor McGregor is easily the biggest star in UFC history. However, even star power couldn’t prevent ‘The Notorious’ from suffering a horrendous injury at UFC 264 in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier.
Looking to avenge his loss at UFC 257, McGregor came out fast, using some low kicks to soften Poirier up. But when ‘The Diamond’ managed to force him into the cage and then escaped a guillotine, it was all downhill for the Irishman.
He took some heavy shots from underneath Poirier. When he escaped to his feet, he ate a big combination that caused him to stumble back before falling to a seated position against the fence.
McGregor was saved by the buzzer signifying the end of the round, but it quickly became clear that he couldn’t continue, and the fight was stopped. When replays were shown, it became evident what’d happened. As McGregor stumbled back, his left ankle rolled, snapping his tibia in the process.
We’ve seen various suggestions since, including that McGregor initially injured his ankle when Poirier blocked a low kick, but nobody can really be sure of that.
‘The Notorious’ was at pains to attempt to ensure that the fight was announced as a doctor’s stoppage rather than a TKO. To tell the truth, it didn’t make a whole lot of difference.
This was still one of the nastiest injuries in UFC history, and it was no surprise to see McGregor leave the arena on a stretcher afterwards. How long it’ll be before we see him in the octagon again is anyone’s guess.