UFC fighter Irene Aldana suffered one of the worst cuts in the sport’s history during her fight at the Las Vegas Sphere against Brazil’s Norma Dumont.
Superstar Sean O’Malley was the headliner, but much of the attention was focused on the meeting between the two bantamweights during Saturday night’s historic event.
The match was still exciting in the first round, but a clash of heads left the 36-year-old with a terrible cut on her face.
Commentator Jon Anik called it a “slot machine” cut, while UFC legends like Daniel Cormier praised the Mexican fighter for her perseverance as blood poured from her face.
The brutal beating was not helped by Dumont’s obvious targeting of the area. The cutman did his best to dress the wound, but there was little that could be done given the extent of the injury.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT.
Bantamweight Irene Aldana suffered a large deep cut to her face during her fight against Norma Dumont
The 36-year-old suffered blood loss from the cut but continued to fight in Las Vegas
Aldana lost the match 30-27 against all three judges and is now 15-8 in her career, although she managed to win over many fans
The Mexican was one of many fighters of Mexican descent who fought in honor of the country’s Independence Day
An X account joked: ‘Was Irene Aldana hit with an axe in the octagon?’
Aldana lost the match 30-27 against all three judges and is now 15-8 in her career, but her perseverance has won her many fans.
Dana White hosted the event, also called “Noche UFC” in honor of Mexican Independence Day, the first sporting event to be held in the futuristic Sphere in Vegas.
The card featured seven fighters of Mexican descent, led by Alexa Grasso who defended her women’s flyweight title against legend Valentina Shevchenko.
It was Dumont’s fifth straight win inside the Octagon, taking his UFC record to 8-2.
Meanwhile, Aldana, the former challenger for the UFC bantamweight title, has gone 4-4 in her last eight bouts.