5 times UFC main event fights ended due to freak injuries
This past weekend's UFC Fight Night in London, England, didn't end the way fans or the promotion had hoped. Heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Tom Aspinall clashed in the main event, which lasted only 15 seconds. A freak knee injury following an exchange forced Aspinall to the mat in pain.
The referee called a stop to the bout, which awarded Blaydes a TKO win. Fans were looking forward to the bout and it also had a lot at stake in the division. An injury is bound to happen in MMA, but it was unfortunate that it happened so soon.
There have been instances where a freak injury has forced a stoppage in the main event. Not only could it negatively affect the injured fighter, but the fighter that earns the win is negatively impacted as well. This list will look back at five times UFC main event fights ended due to freak injuries.
#5. Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez - UFC on ABC 3
mmafighting.com/2022/7/16/2323…
MMAFighting: Yair Rodriguez wins after Brian Ortega suffers brutal dislocated shoulder in #UFCLongIsland main event
Full story by @DamonMartin 📰 mmafighting.com/2022/7/16/2323… https://t.co/lS7T6VNKGv
The UFC have not had any luck with their recent main events. Just one week prior to Blaydes vs. Aspinall, the featherweight main event between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez also ended due to injury. The only difference was that the fight lasted longer than the heavyweight bout in London.
The main event lasted 4:11 seconds and ended with Ortega injuring his shoulder and being unable to continue. In an Instagram post, 'T-City' detailed what happened during the main event and what led to the injury.
"I grabbed my own hand and pulled my arm out to begin to pass to a more dominant position and it was then where a freak accident happened and I yanked my shoulder out of its socket."
'El Pantera' mentioned that he noticed something was wrong and stopped fighting. It was unfortunate the fight ended the way it did. But there is a possibility that a rematch could be booked at some point in their careers.