5 most gruesome injuries UFC fighters suffered in 2021

#2. Conor McGregor fractures his leg at UFC 264

UFC 264: Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3

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."

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#1. Chris Weidman suffers one of the most gruesome injuries in UFC history

Chris Weidman fractures his leg at UFC 261 | Image via Reuters

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?"