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MMA requires athletes to be in the best possible shape to compete. With grueling camps running for weeks and the fights breaking them down, it is tough for UFC fighters to avoid injuries for long. Many suffer shocking injuries inside the octagon due to bone-breaking violence. However, in some cases, it is pre-existing or underlying injuries that are aggravated during a fight.
Several UFC fighters have made headlines over the years by nursing injuries on their way into the octagon. These ailments, such as stress fractures, are picked up during camp after relentless training. While many fighters pull out of events due to such injuries, some choose to push on for the incentives involved.
#3. Rory Markham's collapsed lung against Dan Hardy at UFC 95
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Rory Markham is an MMA legend who competed in multiple weight classes. He fought in the UFC for three years and picked up a win and two losses. His most notable fight came against Dan Hardy at UFC 95, which he took part in despite a lung injury.
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Rory Markham's previous fight was in the middleweight division against Brodie Farber at UFC Fight Night 14. After his knockout win, Markham was to come down to the welterweight division for the fight against Dan Hardy. It was this weight-cutting process that caused Markham to suffer an injury.
Markham sustained a world of pain to come down to 170 lbs. While he got knocked out in the first round, a pre-existing injury was found in the UFC 95 post-fight medical examination. An X-ray report revealed that Markham had fought Dan Hardy with a collapsed lung. It is impressive how the MMA legend chose to compete despite a pre-existing injury that could have been fatal.
Also Read: Dan Hardy reveals how he always knew Conor McGregor would be a good businessman
#2. Junior dos Santos wins UFC heavyweight championship with a torn meniscus
Junior dos Santos' biggest fight came in November 2011 against Cain Velasquez. The contest made Dos Santos the UFC heavyweight champion and was the only bout he won against Velasquez throughout their trilogy. During the fight, Dos Santos knocked out Cain in 64 seconds, snatching the championship in dominant fashion.
However, what made the victory even more impressive was that Junior dos Santos came in with a pre-existing injury. Right after the fight, the newly crowned champion admitted he was nursing a knee injury in the weeks leading up to the contest.
Dos Santos mentioned he was worried about taking a kick to his knee and aggravating a pre-existing injury he had picked ahead of the fight while doing jiu-jitsu. He told MMA Junkie:
"I was feeling my knee a little bit, and I was worried about it."
After earning his eighth consecutive win and the championship, Junior dos Santos further revealed the nature of his pre-existing injury. The Brazilian was apparently on crutches during the final phase of fight camp, with his last week filled with rehab and punching drills in the pool.
Also Read: 3 UFC fighters who started training late
#1. Conor McGregor's stress fracture at UFC 264
Conor McGregor suffered a freak injury at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier, losing the fight via TKO (doctor's stoppage). It is believed that one of McGregor's body kicks, which was checked hard by Poirier, caused the fibula to buckle and break later on. It didn't make a lot of sense until 'Notorious' revealed that he had come to UFC 264 with a pre-existing injury.
Conor McGregor claimed he was suffering from stress fractures in his left leg from kicking too hard in training ahead of UFC 264. In a video posted by the former UFC double-champ, he said:
"I was injured going into the fight. People are asking me, 'When was the leg broke? At what point did the leg break?' Ask Dana White. Ask the UFC. Ask Dr. [Jeff] Davidson, the head doctor of the UFC. They knew I had stress fractures in my leg going into that cage. It was debated about pulling the thing out."
Conor McGregor also shared pictures of himself on social media, where he is seen training with his ankle wrapped. In his tweet, he mocked UFC fighters who pulled out due to injuries and wrote:
"All you pull out merchants wouldn’t last 13 seconds in my world. My 4 part Netflix docuseries coming soon has the entire bts. I’m gonna title it 'Mad Mac’s: Fury Road.'"
Many fighters, analysts, and even the Nevada State Athletic Commission have refuted McGregor's pre-existing injury claims. In an interview taken after UFC 264, NSAC executive director Bob Bennett said:
"If we ever knowingly had information a fighter wasn't fit to fight, we wouldn't let them compete. It would go to a doctor and a doctor would make that decision as the expert."
