10 Most Gruesome Injuries In MMA History
Highlights
- Injuries in MMA can be absolutely devastating, resulting in gruesome sights that shock and devastate fans.
- Fighters like Devin Clark, Miesha Tate, Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, Alistair Overeem, and many others have suffered horrific injuries.
- From dislocated elbows to fractured skulls and broken legs, the injuries sustained in the Octagon can be life-changing.
In the world of MMA, just about anything can happen. Whether that means a gatekeeper stepping on short notice to win UFC gold, such as Michael Bisping did in 2016, or seeing names such as Sean Strickland become stars, just about anything can happen. Unfortunately, some fighters end up with life-changing gruesome injuries.
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10 Devin Clark (vs. Ion Cutelaba)
'Brown Bear' Suffered A Devastating Mouth Injury
Devin Clark | Ion Cutelaba |
|---|---|
6'0" | 6'1" |
206 Pounds | 205 Pounds |
12-5 (Pre-Fight Record) | 15-6-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
At UFC Vegas 37 in September 2021, light heavyweights Devin Clark and Ion Cutelaba faced off. 'The Hulk' dominated that bout, ultimately handing the wrestler a unanimous decision defeat. In the process, Cutelaba destroyed Clark's face.
Specifically, Clark's teeth were completely smashed as a result of a massive knee in the second round. The light-heavyweight's teeth were mangled, and he reportedly broke his jaw as well.
9 Miesha Tate (vs. Ronda Rousey)
'Rowdy' Dislocated Her Rival's Elbow In 2012
Ronda Rousey | Miesha Tate |
|---|---|
5'6" | 5'6" |
134.5 Pounds | 134.5 Pounds |
4-0 (Pre-Fight Record) | 12-2 (Pre-Fight Record) |
The rivalry between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey was an incredible one. Their first meeting came at Strikeforce in 2012, with 'Cupcake' as the defending bantamweight champion. Predictably, Rousey won by first-round armbar.
However, Tate didn't tap nearly as quickly as she should've. By trying to fight through the submission, Rousey wound up dislocating her rival's elbow. The site of Tate's arm, post-fight was a rough to look at for viewers.
8 Jon Jones (vs. Chael Sonnen)
'Bones' Fractured His Big Toe In Round One
Jon Jones | Chael Sonnen |
|---|---|
6'4" | 6'1" |
205 Pounds | 205 Pounds |
17-1 (Pre-Fight Record) | 27-12-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
The rivalry between Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen was a lopsided one. 'Bones' wound up dominating the longtime trash-talker, securing a first-round knockout win over him in April 2013. As it turns out, the most damage inflicted on Jones was by himself.
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7 Conor McGregor (vs. Dustin Poirier)
'The Notorious' Broke His Leg In July 2021
Conor McGregor | Dustin Poirier |
|---|---|
5'9" | 5'9" |
156 Pounds | 156 Pounds |
22-5 (Pre-Fight Record) | 27-6 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier's trilogy bout ended in catastrophe. Their first fight, McGregor won by technical knockout and in the second Poirier got revenge with a knockout of his own. Their third meeting ended in injury in the final seconds of the first round.
McGregor famously broke his leg and stepped back on the broken limb in a terrifying sight. Over two years on from the devastating injury, 'The Notorious' has yet to return to the cage.
6 Alistair Overeem (vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik)
The Legend's Cut Was Horrifying
Alistair Overeem | Jairzinho Rozenstruik |
|---|---|
6'4" | 6'2" |
248 Pounds | 250.5 Pounds |
45-17 (Pre-Fight Record) | 9-0 (Pre-Fight Record) |
In December 2019, Alistair Overeem faced the rising Jairzinho Rozenstruik. The longtime UFC heavyweight contender was up on the scorecards heading into the fifth, and final round. However, Rozenstruik scored a buzzer-beater knockout, with a Superman punch.
That one shot also disfigured Overeem's face. The legend had a cut that busted his lips open, and the shot of the heavyweight post-fight with the injury was grotesque. It's more of a cosmetic issue compared to something like McGregor's leg break, but it's still not a pretty sight.
5 Evangelista Santos (vs. Michael Page)
'MVP' Literally Dented His Opponent's Skull
Michael Page | Evangelista Santos |
|---|---|
6'3" | 5'10" |
169.8 Pounds | 170 Pounds |
10-0 (Pre-Fight Record) | 21-17 (Pre-Fight Record) |
The young Michael 'Venom' Page was on the rise heading into 2016. That July in London, he faced longtime veteran and Strikeforce title challenger Evangelista Santos. In round two, 'Cyborg' was flattened with a flying knee, and Page went viral for throwing a Pokeball at his opponent in celebration.
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4 Renzo Gracie (vs. Kazushi Sakuraba)
This Brazilian Legend Should've Tapped
Kazushi Sakuraba | Renzo Gracie |
|---|---|
5'11" | 5'10" |
182.6 Pounds | 172 Pounds |
9-2-1 (Pre-Fight Record) | 9-1-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
The legendary rivalry between Kazushi Sakuraba and the Gracie family produced classic after classic. In August 2000, the Japanese pro wrestler faced Renzo Gracie, in another chapter of their storied feud.
The fight was back and forth but saw Sakuraba get Gracie into a kimura. The Brazilian was prideful and refused to tap. As a result, Sakuraba began cranking it even more, snapping his arm, and securing the submission win.
3 Corey Hill (vs. Dale Hartt)
This Leg Break Was Absolutely Horrifying
Corey Hill | Dale Hartt |
|---|---|
6'4" | 5'10" |
155 Pounds | 156 Pounds |
2-1 (Pre-Fight Record) | 5-1 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Over the years, Corey Hill's leg break vs. Dale Hartt has been kind of forgotten. It makes sense, given the premature passing of 'The Real Deal', and 'The Demon' only having a three-fight UFC stint.
Still, this 2008 bout produced arguably the most gruesome injury in MMA history. Hartt checked a kick from Hill in the second round, and instantly, the latter's leg snapped. As a result, he was out of action for two years, and his career was never the same.
2 Anderson Silva (vs. Chris Weidman)
The Legend Was Never The Same After UFC 168
Anderson Silva | Chris Weidman |
|---|---|
6'2" | 6'2" |
185 Pounds | 185 Pounds |
33-5 (Pre-Fight Record) | 10-0 (Pre-Fight Record) |
Few injuries were more devastating than Anderson Silva's leg break against Chris Weidman in December 2013. As the story goes, 'The Spider' was on the comeback trail, and hoping to regain the title he lost earlier that year.
However, in the second round, disaster struck. Weidman checked a kick from Silva, who instantly collapsed in agony. While the Brazilian went on to have great performances after this point, his career never fully recovered.
1 Chris Weidman (vs. Uriah Hall)
Eight Years After Breaking Anderson Silva's Leg, Weidman Suffered The Same Fate
Chris Weidman | Uriah Hall |
|---|---|
6'2" | 6'0" |
185 Pounds | 185 Pounds |
15-5 (Pre-Fight Record) | 16-9 (Pre-Fight Record) |
UFC 261 was supposed to be a night of celebration. The card was the first with a live crowd after the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was stacked. Sadly, the main card kicked off with one of the most grotesque injuries in MMA history.
In the opening seconds of Chris Weidman vs. Uriah Hall, the former champion broke his leg after having his kick checked. Nearly a decade after breaking Anderson Silva's leg, the wrestler suffered the same fate.
