7 Times MMA fighters were the victims of vehicular accidents

#5 Emanuel Newton

Newton KOing King Mo with a spinning backfist

There are numerous stories of mixed martial arts rescuing troubled souls from a toxic life, none of which are uninspiring. But Emanuel Newton’s case might be the most literal of them all.

In 2007, Newton, who was on his motorcycle, was racing a car which veered out of control and bumped him. At a speed of 240 km/hr, that slight nudge catapulted him to the ground. Newton showed miraculous presence of mind by using his wrestling training to roll away from his skidding bike, but not before breaking many bones in his arm.

But the worst was yet to come – complications from the surgeries forced doctors to almost amputate his arm and they gave him zero hope of returning to the cage. A little over a year later, Newton came roaring back and won both his first two fights since the accident.

“The Hardcore Kid” exorcised the ghosts of the tragedy by becoming Bellator Light Heavyweight champion in 2014 and seared his name into fans’ memory with two spinning back fist KOs.