Sherdog’s Top 10: Ghoulish MMA Moments

2. Face Smashing

In the middle of the sweltering Sin City summer, an all-time classic brawl broke out and stole the show during International Fight Week. Robbie Lawler proved his superiority in a rematch with Rory MacDonald at UFC 189, but it was a battle that will live on in in the memories of all who witnessed its savagery on July 11, 2015. The two welterweights, Lawler the champion and MacDonald his challenger, slugged it out for four grueling rounds, each giving as good as he took.

Both men were badly rocked at times, their faces rearranged by swelling and lacerations. However, the Canadian got the worst of it. With the fight hanging in the balance in the final round, Lawler plastered MacDonald’s face with a vicious combination of punches that finally dropped him. Blood poured from numerous spots, as referee John McCarthy rescued the challenger and awarded Lawler the victory.

The severity of MacDonald’s injuries was not known at the time of the stoppage. The following day, he posted a picture on social media and looked like he had been stung by a swarm of bees. A few weeks later, MacDonald released an X-ray of his nose, which showed that the front part of his nasal bone had been struck so hard that it detached from his skull.

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