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MMA is a brutal sport and there's no better place to witness this than in the UFC. Mixed martial artists spend their lives training to get the better of their opponents, even if that means rendering them unable to fight. It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that UFC fighters get injured inside the octagon often.
However, some injuries are so dreadful that it makes one weak in the knees solely by watching. One doesn't need to be reminded of Anderson Silva's horrific leg-break or even Alistair Overeem's nasty lip-tear. Conor McGregor summed it up aptly when he said at UFC 264, "it's a mad business."
In this article, we look at five of the most gruesome injuries UFC fighters suffered in 2021 alone.
#5. Tony Ferguson's knee pops at UFC 262
Tony Ferguson suffered his third straight defeat after losing 30-27 to Beneil Dariush in a unanimous decision at UFC 262. But it wasn't a normal loss for 'El Cucuy', who's known to be mentally unbreakable.
Ferguson was dominated by Dariush throughout the fight, getting outworked in both striking and grappling. But the most painful moment came when Ferguson was held deep in an inverted heel hook to which he refused to tap. Impressive as it may be, it did carry a price: his knee.
Despite being in a position where any other fighter would've tapped, Tony Ferguson refused to give up. Explaining what happened after his submission attempt at UFC 262, Beneil Dariush said:
“It popped! I looked at him [Tony Ferguson] and then he started kicking me and went back to normal. And I was like ‘man, he’s not human.’ Tony is not human."
The former UFC interim lightweight champion later gave an update on his injury and stated there was only a "slight sprain" and no tear.
Slight sprain or not, it was one of the nastiest injuries of 2021 in the UFC.
Watch Beneil Dariush describe Tony Ferguson's injury below:
#4. Ion Cutelaba caves in Devin Clark's teeth at UFC Vegas 37
In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 37, Devin Clark came out all guns blazing against fellow light-heavyweight Ion Cutelaba. Although in control of the early exchanges, Clark let the momentum shift in favor of the Moldovan as the fight went on. Cutelaba punished his rival with heavy shots before scoring a significant knockdown in round one.
The worst moment came for the American when 'The Hulk' landed a knee on his face while holding him against the cage in round two. Clark's teeth dislodged right away from the impact and blood started to leak from his mouth. However, the American fighter showed heart and continued to battle even against the advice of his corner.
After the loss, Devin Clark was taken to a hospital and a metal wire was placed in his mouth to keep his teeth intact. He was also handed a six-month medical suspension and now aims for a return in 2022.
#3. Jamahal Hill dislocates elbow after refusing to tap at UFC 263
The MMA world witnessed a toe-curling injury unfurl in stunning fashion at UFC 263. In the first bout of the main card between light heavyweights Paul Craig and Jamahal Hill, a late intervention on the part of referee Al Guinee made waves in MMA circles.
Despite Paul Craig holding Jamahal Hill in an armbar and the latter dislocating his elbow, the fight was allowed to continue. Craig won by TKO a little later in round one after landing a series of elbows and punches. But the talking point of the encounter was Hill's hand, flopping around mid-fight.
The incident left Joe Rogan astounded, who shouted after seeing Hill's elbow get dislocated:
"It’s completely broken. Look at his arm just flopping around. That is crazy."
Al Guinee eventually stepped in after it became painstakingly obvious that Hill had suffered an injury. Speaking about the arm, Paul Craig said it was "like a wet fish just dancing all over my body."
#2. Conor McGregor fractures his leg at UFC 264
The main event of UFC 264 brought grim results for Conor McGregor. Not only did he lose 2-1 in his trilogy with Dustin Poirier, but the Irishman also suffered a major injury despite starting the fight aggressively.
Following a failed guillotine attempt by McGregor and heavy ground-and-pound by Poirier, the two returned to their feet for further exchanges. However, the Irishman's left leg, which was apparently strained throughout the fight, was fractured in the dying seconds of the first round.
Here's the exact moment when Conor McGregor suffered the gruesome injury:
Dustin Poirier earned a TKO victory via doctor's stoppage and a debate broke out instantly on what caused the gruesome injury to 'Notorious'. While McGregor blamed it on pre-existing stress-fractures, 'The Diamond' credited it to one of his checks. Comparing his injury to Anderson Silva's from UFC 168, the Irishman said:
"Just the thing had separated, bleeding landing on the wanky leg like Anderson Silva... something similar to that."
#1. Chris Weidman suffers one of the most gruesome injuries in UFC history
Chris Weidman suffered one of the nastiest and most painful injuries in MMA history at UFC 261. The incident took place within a few seconds of the first round. 'The All-American' landed the only strike in the entire fight, a leg kick, just below Hall's left knee. The kick was checked and it caused Weidman's leg to instantly snap in the middle of the shin.
The former UFC middleweight champion fell to the ground, wincing in pain. Only 17 seconds into round one, the fight was stopped. Uriah Hall became the only fighter in UFC history to win without landing a single strike. UFC boss Dana White highlighted the fact by posting a clip on Twitter.
Chris Weidman was stretchered out of the arena. This injury had another aspect as well. Former UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva suffered the same injury against 'The All-American' eight years ago. Looking back on how unfortunate and seemingly impossible the whole incident was, Weidman said:
"When I was facedown, I think that immediately popped in my head -- like, is this a bad dream? How is that possible? I was a part of it when it happened to Anderson Silva, and this happens to me? ... Like, how the hell does this happen? Three leg breaks in the history of the UFC, and I'm a part of two of them?"
