These 10 UFC Injuries Were So Bad, You’ll Wish You Never Looked
Fighters don’t just get hurt—they break, bleed, and sometimes keep fighting through injuries that would put most people in the hospital for months. UFC injuries often involve bones snapping in half, faces swelling beyond recognition, and joints being bent in ways they definitely shouldn’t be. It indeed is one of the most injury-prone sports on the planet.
So, let’s take a look at some of the worst injuries in the UFC history if you think you’ve got the stomach for it.
Anderson Silva’s Leg Snaps Like a Breadstick (UFC 168)
Credit: Youtube
Year: 2013 | Broken Tibia & Fibula
Anderson Silva held the record for most title defenses in middleweight history and had gone nearly seven years without a loss. But disaster struck when he threw a routine leg kick at Chris Weidman. Weidman’s check caused Silva’s tibia and fibula to snap instantly, leaving his leg dangling at an unnatural angle. The entire arena gasped as Silva collapsed. He underwent emergency surgery and returned two years later, but he was never the same.
Chris Weidman Suffers the Same Fate (UFC 261)
Credit: Instagram
Year: 2021 | Broken Tibia & Fibula
Seven years after benefiting from Silva’s leg break, Weidman suffered the exact same injury against Uriah Hall. His very first kick of the fight was checked, and his shin folded like a wet noodle. Even more ironic? Hall became the first fighter in UFC history to win a fight without landing a single strike.
Conor McGregor’s Leg Betrays Him (UFC 264)
Credit: X
Year: 2021 | Fractured Tibia
Conor McGregor’s trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier was supposed to settle their rivalry. Instead, it ended with McGregor screaming, “This is not over!” as his ankle flopped unnaturally. The break likely started when McGregor threw a kick earlier in the round. But his tibia gave out completely when he planted his foot after a missed punch.
Sean Strickland’s Nose Gets Shattered (UFC 312)
Credit: Instagram
Year: 2025 | Broken Nose
Dricus du Plessis left Sean Strickland severely injured after shattering his nose with a brutal right hand. Blood gushed out instantly, and Strickland’s corner desperately called for him to pick up the pace. Unfortunately, he never recovered. As a result, Strickland lost his middleweight title rematch while du Plessis extended his win streak to 9
Jon Jones’ Toe Almost Falls Off (UFC 165)
Credit: Reddit
Year: 2013 | Dislocated & Severed Big Toe
Jon Jones’ fight against Alexander Gustafsson is often called the greatest title fight in UFC history. What’s less remembered is that he nearly lost his big toe in the process. During a takedown attempt, Jones’ toe snapped sideways, and he didn’t even notice until the post-fight interview—when Joe Rogan pointed it out. Jones took one look and nearly passed out on live TV.
Thiago Santos Tears Everything in His Legs (UFC 239)
Credit: X
Year: 2019 | Torn ACL, MCL, PCL, & Meniscus
Most fighters suffer one knee injury at a time. But Thiago Santos went for the grand slam. Santos tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, and partially tore his meniscus while facing Jon Jones—all in the same fight. Somehow, he fought all five rounds and even became the first fighter to ever win a judge’s scorecard against Jones.
Michael Bisping Fights with One Eye (UFC on FX 7)
Credit: Instagram
Year: 2013 | Detached Retina
Michael Bisping’s fight against Vitor Belfort cost him his eye. Belfort, who was later found to have suspiciously high testosterone levels, landed a head kick that detached Bisping’s retina. This kick left him permanently blind in one eye. Here’s the crazy part: Bisping hid the injury from the UFC for years and went on to win the middleweight title with one functional eye.
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira’s Arm Snaps Like a Twig (UFC 140)
Credit: Facebook
Year: 2011 | Broken Humerus
There’s an old saying in jiu-jitsu: “Tap or snap.” Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira chose the latter. When Frank Mir locked in a kimura, Nogueira refused to tap. The result? His humerus snapped in half and created one of the loudest bone-cracking sounds ever broadcast in UFC history.
Corey Hill’s Leg Breaks First (UFC Fight Night 16)
Credit: sherdog
Year: 2008 | Broken Tibia & Fibula
Before Silva and Weidman, there was Corey Hill—the first fighter to suffer a UFC leg break on live TV. Hill threw a leg kick that snapped his shin instantly. This caused the first true “look away now” injury in MMA history. Unfortunately, Hill never fully recovered. He could only fight just three more times before retiring.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s Forehead Turns Into a Balloon (UFC 248)
Credit: Reddit
Year: 2020 | Hematoma
Some injuries look worse than they actually are, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s massive hematoma is a perfect example. Her forehead swelled to the size of a grapefruit after five rounds of war with Weili Zhang. The injury made her almost unrecognizable.
Mark Hominick’s Forehead Turns Into a Horror Movie Prop (UFC 129)
Credit: UFC
Year: 2011 | Massive Hematoma
Mark Hominick was the only UFC fighter who looked like they had a second head growing mid-fight. The Canadian featherweight challenged José Aldo for the title. However, a hematoma the size of a baseball swelled up on his forehead after taking a ridiculous amount of damage. It was so grotesque that Joe Rogan had to repeatedly assure fans that it wasn’t about to burst on live TV.
Ovince Saint Preux Fights Five Rounds With a Broken Arm (UFC 197)
Credit: X
Year: 2016 | Broken Arm
Fighting Jon Jones on three weeks’ notice is already a nightmare scenario, but Ovince Saint Preux did it with a broken arm. Jones landed a kick that fractured OSP’s left arm right at the beginning of the fight. But he powered through all five rounds against one of the greatest fighters in history and did not quit. Most fighters would have waved it off—Saint Preux just shrugged it off and kept swinging.
Frankie Edgar’s Face Gets Rearranged (UFC 144)
Credit: Facebook
Year: 2012 | Extreme Facial Swelling
Frankie Edgar’s rematch against Benson Henderson was next-level brutal. Edgar’s face looked like he had been stung by a dozen angry bees by the end of five rounds. His eyes were swollen shut, his nose bent in a new direction, and his lip split open. The crazy part? He almost won the fight.
Matt Hamill Dislocates His Shoulder, Keeps Fighting (TUF 3 Finale)
Credit: reddit
Year: 2006 | Dislocated Shoulder
Matt Hamill was a rising star when he stepped into The Ultimate Fighter 3 finale. But his fight against Michael Bisping ended in disaster. Hamill suffered a gruesome shoulder dislocation but still tried to push through during the bout. Eventually, the pain became unbearable, and he could barely defend himself. The referee stopped the fight, and Bisping got the TKO win.
Rich Franklin Breaks His Arm, Knocks Out Chuck Liddell Anyway (UFC 115)
Credit: Instagram
Year: 2010 | Broken Arm
During his fight against Chuck Liddell, Franklin blocked a head kick that fractured his left arm. Instead of panicking, he kept fighting and eventually knocked Liddell out with a right hook. And while most people would use a broken arm as a valid excuse to stop fighting, he used his other hand!