The world of professional mixed martial arts keeps fight fans on the edge of their seats every weekend. It’s a spectacle of a sport that continues to rise to prominence as the fastest-growing sport worldwide.
However, while combat sports entertain the masses, the brutality involved isn’t always kind to the fighters. Injuries in the UFC are extremely common, and this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
That said, today, we’re looking back at some of the most eye-watering injuries to date. This isn’t for the faint-hearted, but if you’re ready, let’s dive right into the top five gnarliest injuries in UFC history, some you may want to keep in mind when betting on the UFC in the near future.
5 Michael Bisping vs. Vitor Belfort
- When: UFC on FX 7, January 2013
- The Injury: Detached Retina (Blinded)
Michael Bisping is known for being a tough S.O.B and, in modern-day MMA, a hilarious addition to the commentary table. But when the former middleweight champion’s journey to lifting the gold came to light, he earned maximum respect from the masses.
During a UFC on FX 7 event eleven years back, Bisping fought Vitor Belfort and received one of the nastiest head-kick knockout losses. His eye was busted up severely, but at the time, it didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary, although this would soon change.
He suffered a detached retina, and due to the severity of such an injury, many critics and doctors believed it was the end for Bisping. This would have been the case if he had told the truth because the British kickboxing standout went blind in one eye and kept it a secret until his retirement five years later.
Despite going blind in one eye, ‘The Count’ continued competing for another five years and also became the middleweight champion. It isn’t just one of the most insane injuries of all time but also a unique journey to the top that won’t ever be replicated.
4 Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman II
- When: UFC 168, December 2013
- The Injury: Broken Leg
For eternity, Anderson Silva’s legend has been etched into the MMA history books. The Brazilian UFC middleweight danced around the octagon and delivered awe-inspiring highlight reel finishes in the octagon for 14 years.
Unfortunately, a storied career at the top came crashing down in 2013 when a passing of the guard took place at UFC 162. Chris Weidman received the torch when stopping ‘The Spider’ via TKO, and a rematch was booked five months later.
Despite losing the first bout, Silva was so adored that he still entered the rematch as a betting favorite, but nobody predicted the eventual outcome.
Silva threw a low kick one minute into the second round, which Weidman checked. The result? Silva’s shinbone split in half as most of them reached for the sick bag in what’s been one of the most gruesome leg breaks to this day.
3 Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- When: UFC on ESPN, December 2019
- The Injury: Lip Split in Half
The twilight years of our MMA heroes can be difficult to watch, and this was the case when 40-year-old Alistair Overeem nearly lost his damn lip to a savage power puncher in Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Overeem actually fought well for five rounds, and he was likely heading to the judge’s scorecards for a unanimous decision victory. Unfortunately, with four seconds remaining in the fifth and final round, his opponent, representing Suriname, unleashed a fight-ending right cross to win the contest in a brutal fashion.
The knockout was sweet, but the images of Overeem’s lip instantly went viral as he smiled through the pain. Looking more like a horror movie than an MMA contest, ‘The Demolition Man’s upper lip was split into two. Fortunately, he received surgery and no trace of the injury can be found, which is a miracle in itself.
2 Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Weili Zhang
- When: UFC 248, March 2020
- The Injury: Hematoma
Two legends of the UFC women’s strawweight division put on a Fight of the Year performance back in 2020. The roof of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was blown off when the two exchanged heavy shots for 25 minutes straight.
To this day, it’s one of the most memorable women’s strawweight fights in promotional history. What made it even more unforgettable was the hematoma Joanna wore as she continued to battle the Chinese brute.
The striking numbers obtained were historic; their co-main event clash exceeded expectations, and the lump on Joana’s head that she basically ignored is a moment in UFC history none of us will forget.
1 Chris Weidman vs. Uriah Hall II
- When: UFC 261, April 2021
- The Injury: Broken Leg
Chris Weidman and leg breaks can’t get away from each other, and eight years following the snapped leg he’d given Anderson Silva, karma would eventually come back around as he received a spine-tingling leg injury of his own.
Weidman arrived at UFC 261 with a familiar foe in Uriah Hall, who’d he fought 11 years ago in another promotion. Still, it took no more than 17 seconds before medics rushed into the octagon as a checked kick resulted in a collapsed shin.
As fans watched Weidman’s bone bend in a direction it wasn’t supposed to, they winced and sympathized with the former 185-pound king, as the irony of what had just taken place was eerie.
Two years and two surgeries later, Weidman made his octagon return. However, he suffered defeat to a mid-tier Brad Tavares, and following such a catastrophic injury, he’ll likely never be the same again.
