The 9 most insane photos in MMA history

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, the MMA photos you’re about to see are so telling that they don’t need much explanation really. You merely have to look at them, pause for a good moment, and remind yourself that the sport of mixed martial arts is the craziest one around. Whether touching moments, graphic injuries, or epic performances, the following photos depict some of the most iconic moments in MMA history.

9) Fedor armbars a giant

Korean fighter Choi Hong-Man is 7 feet and 2 inches tall (2.18m) and weighs 310 pounds (140kg). Impressive, right? Well, MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko was not impressed. The two fought in 2007, and Fedor quickly submitted the giant. The sight of the submission was borderline grotesque as Fedor (a pretty big man himself) looked like a tiny tiny person compared to Choi.

8) Wanderlei Silva dismantles Rampage Jackson

What happens when you pit two of the most violent persons on Earth in a ring? An epic fight, that’s what. Wanderlei Silva took on Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson back in 2004 at PRIDE 28 in a much-anticipated showdown. The Muay Thai striking acumen of the Brazilian proved to be too much for Rampage, who ended up lying unconscious on the ropes.

7) Conor McGregor knocks out José Aldo in 13 seconds

The Featherweight title fight between José Aldo and Conor McGregor back in last December was one of the most anticipated fights in MMA history. Many people were wondering if the young Irish star could end Aldo’s reign at the top. Well, he did, and shook the world too, as McGregor knocked the Brazilian out in just 13 seconds.

6) Mark Coleman in heart-wrenching moment

UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman had a tough challenge in front of him back in 2004 as he was set to face Fedor Emelianenko. Unsurprisingly, the American lost and left the contest badly battered. That didn’t prevent him to get his young daughters in the cage though, as Coleman later said he wanted to explain to them that their dad was OK. That moment truly was a touching one.

5) Japanese fighter loves to cosplay

What looks like a cosplay fan who got lost while making his way to the nearest anime convention is actually Japanese MMA fighter and kickboxer Yuichiro Nagashima. Just so you know, Nagashima is an elite, world-class fighter. And yes, he LOVES to cosplay too, often making his way to the ring dressed as popular (and mostly female) anime characters. Ah, Japan…

4) Shinya Aoki breaks arm, flips the bird

Say you’re fighting at one the biggest stages in MMA and you’ve just broken your opponent’s arm; what would your reaction be? If you answered ‘check on him to make sure he’s OK’ then you know what sportsmanship is. Shinya Aoki, obviously, doesn’t. Aoki broke Mizuto Hirota’s arm in graphic fashion at the Dynamite!! The Power of Courage 2009 event and immediately followed up by celebrating his victory and flipping the bird at an injured Hirota.

3) Anderson Silva breaks his leg

Few people expected Chris Weidman to beat then-champ Anderson Silva back at UFC 162, and probably no one expected to see the champ get beat in such shocking fashion. At the beginning of round 2, Silva threw a hard inside leg kick but Weidman checked it… and it caused Silva’s leg to break in horrifying fashion. That moment remains one of the most shocking in MMA history.

2) Mark Hominick looks like The Elephant Man

What looks like an alien egg embedded inside Mark Hominick’s skull is actually the aftermath of his fight against then-champ José Aldo, back at UFC 129. Aldo displayed an outstanding performance over the course of the 5 rounds, and left Hominick looking like The Elephant Man.

1) Female fighter’s ear explodes during fight

They say anything can happen in MMA one the two fighters are locked in the cage and boy, that’s very true. UFC Women’s Bantamweight fighter Leslie Smith was set to take on Jessica Eye at UFC 180. The bout was disputed, until something utterly shocking happened… At the beginning of the second round, Eye landed a hard right that connected to Smith’s ear, basically making it, well, explode in mid-fight. Leslie Smith’s cauliflower ear was a mess; there was blood everywhere. It barely was still hanging on her head. Of course, the doctor stopped the fight. Smith’s mishap is perhaps the most insane thing that ever happened inside an MMA cage.

Bonus: Matt Mitrione suffers horrific eye injury

Mitrione suffered a technical knockout defeat in the second round, but by this time the American had already been poked in the eye twice and seen a lump the size of a golf ball swell up on his eye.

The swelling was so bad that Mitrione was unable to see out of his right eye, and he was left near-defenceless when Browne took him down to the canvas despite being cleared to fight on by the doctor.