5 fighters who left the cage on a stretcher

For all the respect and camaraderie shared between combat athletes after a fight, in-cage competition requires a cold-blooded ferocity that can be both exciting and frightening. Unlike athletes who play team sports, fighters strive to dominate their opponent to the point that they are no longer able to continue.

While referees and doctors play a large part in keeping fighters safe, they can only do so much to prevent serious injuries from occurring, especially in the midst of high-level combat. Knockouts and tapouts are a common occurrence in the game of MMA, but every so often a fighter is hurt so badly that they aren’t able to leave the cage on their own volition.

Here’s 5 fighters who were forced to leave the cage on a stretcher.

5) Joe Riggs

In 2008 Riggs (41-17-1 NC) fought Cory Devela (16-7) in the now-defunct promotion Strikeforce. Riggs tapped after a vicious judo throw from Devela, causing a disc to impact a nerve in Riggs’ back.

4) Erick Silva

http://www.ufc.com/media/FS1-12-Matt-Brown-Octagon-Interview (skip to 1:46)
In a contest that saw him win Fight of the Night honors alongside Matt Brown (20-14), Silva (18-7-1 NC) was battered by the Ohio native and lost via TKO.

3) DaDa 5000

Kimbo Slice (5-2-1 NC) vs Dada 5000 (2-0-1 NC) did great numbers on Spike TV, but the fight itself left a lot to be desired in the eyes of many MMA fans. Dada nearly died in the cage, and suffered both cardiac arrest and kidney failure.

2) George Roop

In his first pro fight since leaving the UFC, Roop (15-13) fought Yoon Jun Lee (11-2) under the Road FC banner, where he lost via a gruesome leg injury.

1) Sean Salmon

Salmon (18-21) is no stranger to being knocked out. This KO was particularly bad, as he suffered an apparent seizure after he was left stiff from a flying knee delivered by Jorge Santiago (25-12).