UFC 180 Results: Leslie Smith Ear Torn by Jessica Eye; Watch Video Here
Fans were treated to the sight of an ear almost falling off Leslie Smith's head at UFC 180, Saturday.
Jessica Eye and Smith were in an exciting first-round slugfest during the women's bantamweight bout until Eye threw a punch near the bell that tore Smith's left ear in Mexico City Arena, Yahoo Sports said.
[Warning: This video contains graphic scenes of injury]
Doctors would check on the bloody wound and Smith was allowed to continue, until Eye made the injury bleed again with a barrage of rights from close range, Yahoo added. As the ear flapped with one right blow, referee Herb Dean had the doctors examine the ear, before declaring a TKO victory at 1:30 of the second round, in favor of Eye.
That was exactly Eye's game plan.
"When I connected and saw her ear blow up, that became my main target," she said, per Yahoo Sports. "I was going to keep hitting it until they stopped the fight or it fell off."
MMA Junkie zeroed in on the stoppage, sharing a discussion between its columnist Ben Fowlkes and retired UFC/WEC fighter Danny Downes.
"Stopping the fight was a bad decision in the short term. Smith was still competitive, and the ear was not affecting her performance," Downes said in the piece. "In the long term, it was a smart decision to stop the fight... The UFC would have a PR nightmare if Smith's ear was laying in the middle of the octagon..."
The injury could be the most disturbing in MMA history, the Bleacher Report said. It noted that the injury looked bad live and looked even worse post-fight.
In Sqor Sports, Smith posted a photo of the gaping hole left by her ear, finally accepting the referee's decision to halt the fight after appearing angry about it immediately after the stoppage.
She said in the post: "I was pretty mad in the cage. I saw some pictures afterward and I appreciate the doctors looking out for me. I guess. I should've adjusted to protect my ear before the doctors had to stop it... I'll do better next time."
The comments section is filled with positive notes on the game.
On Twitter, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley also threw in his support, saying: "Dear @LeslieSmith_GF - it gets better! DM me if you need support or advice."
The retired wrestler lost a part of his ear after failing to pull off a stunt in March 1994.
UFC president Dana White on Instagram shared how impressed he was: "What a warrior!!! Her cauliflower ear busted open and she still demanded to fight. Much respect."
The Bleacher Report noted that Smith is 2-4 in six contests, while Eye got her first victory in 13 months, now with a 1-1(1) record in three fights.
The same night, Humberto Brown was speculated to have soiled his pants, in a game he lost by submission to Gabriel Benitez in the third round of their preliminary bout, reported My MMA News.