UFC star Irene Aldana suffered what has been described as "one of the worst" injuries in the company's history at last night's UFC 306 in Las Vegas.
While Sean O’Malley’s losing title defense against Merab Dvalishvili was the main event of the show, it was Aldana's gruesome injury that left viewers talking on X.
Competing against Brazilian Norma Dumont in a women’s bantamweight bout on the event's preliminary card, Aldana was left busted open after the two fighters collided heads in the second round.
Mexico's Aldana - who is ranked fifth in the world - was left gushing with blood, as the sizable cut above her right eye began to swell. And Dumont didn't hesitate to continue targeting her opponent's face.
(Okay, from this moment on, the images are going to get a lot more graphic.)
Commentator Jon Anik told viewers: "So a nasty gash, slot machine-esque, on the forehead of Irene Aldana. ...It was a clash of heads, the cut man did what he could, but Aldana is leaking."
UFC legend Daniel Cormier highlighted Aldana's courage to continue the fight, saying: "She wants to fight. At this point, you’ve got to. She can’t even see there’s so much blood leaking."
Amazingly, the 36-year-old did manage to continue the fight, but lost 30-27 from all three judges.
Dumont's victory meant that she achieved a career record of 12-2 and rose one spot to #8 in the rankings. Meanwhile, Aldana's career record took a hit and now stands at 15-8.
But despite the loss, her courage won plenty of fans on social media.
MMA commentator Nina-Marie Daniele tweeted: "Irene Aldana is a warrior! Fought all the way to the end! Mexicans are TOUGH! RESPECT."
Another added: "FINISHED THE FIGHT with her face spit open worse than any other fighter I’ve ever seen [...] if that’s not tough I don’t know what is!!!!"
Others simply couldn't get over the brutal injury, with one viewer writing: "Irene Aldana might have just taken the lead for worst cut in history in her #UFC306 loss to Norma Dumont."
The X Complex Sports account added: "Umm. Did Irene Aldana get hit with an axe in the octagon?"
"Good lord!! Aldana gets the worst cut I think I’ve ever seen in the UFC," another tweeted.
UFC boss Dana White also shared a pic of Aldana to his Instagram Stories, where she looked totally unrecognizable:
So, if you're going to check out this fight on a reply, it's probably best not to do so on an empty stomach.
