Warning: The following article contains descriptions and reactions to a graphic injury.
Last night, Cage Warriors, a mixed martial arts organization, held an event in London, England. The main event was for the featherweight title, featuring Harry Hardwick and Javier Garcia.
While the main event ended due to an accidental head clash, the talk this morning is all about an earlier fight. This fight concluded with one of the most sickening eye injuries ever witnessed in MMA.
Doctor Stops Cage Warriors 186 Fight After ужасной Injury
At Cage Warriors 186, eight out of fourteen fights ended early. The most disturbing stoppage occurred in the lightweight match between Tariq Pell from England and Ermil Xhaferi representing Albania.
Near the end of the first round, Pell landed a powerful blow that stunned Xhaferi. Xhaferi then made a critical error by attempting to clear his nose, which was likely already broken. Almost instantly, his right eye socket began to swell dramatically.
Commentators noted the immediate and shocking nature of the injury, stating, “You can literally see – as he blows his nose – you can literally see the eye swell up like a balloon.” Footage clearly showed the rapid worsening of the injury.
The fight doctor was immediately called to examine Xhaferi. The examination was brief; after a single look, the doctor understandably stopped the fight.
Following the fight, Tariq Pell insisted to the media that the result should be considered a knockout, not a doctor`s stoppage as announced. He argued, “He couldn’t continue, so it’s a knockout… If you’re on the battlefield and that happened, I’d come and cut his head off because he wasn’t ready to carry on… Job done.”
MMA Fans Online React to Ermil Xhaferi’s Horrific Eye Injury
Clips of Xhaferi’s fight-ending eye injury quickly went viral on social media. The overwhelming reaction from the MMA community was one of shock and disgust, with many expressing sentiments like, “Oh my God, that’s horrific.”
One fan online compared Xhaferi’s appearance to Harvey Dent from Batman, while another likened him to a character from the stop-motion animation show Celebrity Deathmatch.
Another viewer commented, “Oh. My. God. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an eye that bad.”
One more person joked about the rapid swelling, saying Xhaferi “blew up like he was allergic to being punched in the face.” Another fan praised the referee, Marc Goddard, for seemingly trying to advise Xhaferi against blowing his nose post-strike.
With this victory, Tariq Pell’s professional record improves to 5 wins and 1 loss, while Ermil Xhaferi’s record drops to 5 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw.
