At last weekend’s Noche UFC in San Antonio, Brazilian flyweight Alessandro Costa suffered a freak injury that forced his corner to stop the fight. Costa was facing American debutant Alden Coria, who had stepped in for Edgar Chairez.
Coria had won the first two rounds on all three judges’ scorecards when Costa injured his big toe in the second round, apparently catching it between the cage. Despite attempting to continue into the third round, Costa was unable to go on, leading his corner to throw in the towel less than a minute in.
Footage shared by MMA Junkie’s Danny Sergura shows the severity of Costa’s injury, which is not for the faint-hearted. While rare, injuries caused by the Octagon itself have occurred before, with gruesome toe injuries among the most unusual. UFC 159 famously saw Jon Jones nearly end his fight due to a similar mishap.
The incident highlights the unpredictable dangers fighters face inside the cage, even when performing at the highest level.
