WORST HEMATOMAS IN MMA HISTORY
Few fans understand how hard fighting is. With four ounce gloves, and a fist beneath it in a cast of 45′ of gauze and 10′ of tape, even a glancing jab hurts. Sometimes something happens, and fans get what is really going on.
Nothing registers that pain hurts quite like a hematoma.
A hematoma is a collection of blood outside of a blood vessel, that occurs when the wall of a blood vessel, artery, vein, or capillary, has been damaged, and blood leaks into tissues. A hematoma may be tiny, with just a dot of blood, or it can be large and cause significant swelling.
Minor injuries to blood vessels occur routinely and the body is usually able to repair by activating the blood clotting cascade and forming fibrin patches. Sometimes the repair fails if the damage is extensive, and the hematoma will expand. Blood that escapes from within a blood vessel is irritating to the surrounding tissue and may cause symptoms of inflammation including pain, swelling, and redness.
(Source – medicinenet.com)
The results can be strange, even horrifying. H/t to our friend Eric Kowal at MyMMANews.com.
Joe Lauzon protege Joe Proctor’s temple reversed, during a fight with Justin Salas at UFC Fight Night 45.
Jose Aldo gave Mark Hominick’s head a head.
And Matt Mitrione’s eye got a head, from Travis Browne.
However, strikes cause hematomas, not wrestling or submissions, and so boxing is worse still.
BOXING
Hasim Rahman caught a series of headbutts from Evander Hollyfield, and his head grew a head.
Tough, tough, tough Russian Denis Lebedev lost his WBA cruiserweight championship to Guillermo Jones in Moscow, Russia. If you add a single word to Russians, let it be tough.
And when you are talking about tough nationalities in combat sports, your CANNOT leave Mexico off the list. Erik Morales went 12 rounds with Marcos Maidana despite suffering this eye closing hematoma.
WMMA
Women’s strength to weight ratio is less than that of men, so women fighters are less likely to get massive hematoma, but it does happen.
The all-women’s Invicta Fighting Championship offers incredible fights multiple times per year on UFC Fight Pass, with occasionally startling results.
Peggy Morgan’s cheek grew a golfball vs. Irene Aldana at Invicta FC 8.
And Rachel Wiley looked for a time like an extra on Star Trek: The Next Generation, after fighting Felicia Spencer at Invicta FC 14.
Mercifully, hematoma don’t last, and fighters return to normal.
However, often hematoma have to be fixed in mid fight.
WHAT CUTMAN DOES
Dave Tenny is a Professional Cutman, who has worked championship bouts for over 20 years. In an article for Seconds Out, he explains his craft, and how to use an Enswell.
Facial swelling (trauma) around the eyes is something I would like to touch on. Why is it that so many cutman take an Enswell and vigorously rub the swelling from one side to the other? Did you ever wonder why? I did that, and that is why I am here to say that not only is it more damaging to the eye, but completely UNNECESSARY! If you think you’re trying to move blood away from the eye…. WRONG… think again. We cannot possible move blood in that way and expect it to stay. It moves on its own and will take the path of least resistance. I have confirmed this with Dr. Margaret Goodman and Dr. Flip Homansky of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Gentlemen and ladies, the easiest and best way to reduce swelling during and after a fight is simply taking one hand and apply firm pressure with the Enswell or an ice bag on top of the area of trauma. Place your other hand behind the fighter’s head. In this way, and this way only, the swelling starts to subside. Hold the Enswell as long as you can. A minute between rounds isn’t long, but it often enough time to make a difference.
