- Rongzhu’s clash with Padilla came to an abrupt end on the second lap
- The 24-year-old was hit with a devastating elbow to the face
- He attempted to continue before referee Kerry Hatley was forced to stop the match
A serious injury sustained by UFC star Rongzhu has led to fears among fans that the Chinese fighter has lost the sight in one eye.
The 24-year-old, competing in only his second fight since returning to the promotion this year, suffered a fractured orbital bone during his loss to Chris Padilla at UFC Vegas 97 on Saturday night.
His injury occurred after the American elbowed him hard in the second round, to which Rongzhu responded by pointing at his opponent and accusing him of poking him with his fingers.
Rongzhu attempted to continue, but referee Kerry Hatley was forced to stop proceedings as the fighter’s eye was significantly swollen. He was taken to hospital for a precautionary scan, according to MMAMania.com.
His manager Little Yama confirmed that he had suffered ‘multiple fractures’ and that the Chinese fighter ‘still cannot open his eye.’
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Chinese UFC star Rongzhu suffered a gruesome injury, ending his fight against Chris Padilla at UFC Vegas 97
The 24-year-old responded to the blow by pointing at his opponent and accusing him of poking him in the eye
Some fans expressed concern for the fighter’s welfare after witnessing the brutal blow
Fans reacted with shock to the huge blow and some feared for Rongzhu’s appearance.
“That RongZhu TKO was nasty, I really thought he was going blind in that eye… does anyone know if he’s ok? I haven’t seen any news so I’m thinking it was just an orbital injury,” wrote one concerned onlooker on X.
Another said: ‘WOW!!! Is that the nastiest elbow you’ve ever seen. Chris Padilla completely destroys Rongzhu’s left eye.’
His opponent Padilla seemed less concerned after the bout and actually defended his move, having extended his MMA record to 15-6.
“Who splits a man with an elbow and makes his eye swell up?” he said. That’s why I said “No mas” in the cage, because he said “Eye poke, eye poke.”
“Come on, boy! I elbowed you in the eye. I ain’t got no fingers on my elbows. You know that shit crushed your eye. That’s why I was like, ‘Ah! I gotta kill you now’ and when they [doctor] I thought, ‘He doesn’t want to anymore.’
“This is no disrespect to him because I think I actually crushed his eye, personally. I felt that b**** mush, forgive my language.”
Padilla seemed less concerned about his opponents’ fitness after the clash, which brought his MMA record to 15-6
Despite his high-profile finish, Padilla was not among the four $50,000 bonus recipients that UFC president Dana White selected after each event. The lucky recipients were Steve Garcia and Cody Durden following their wins over Kyle Nelson and Matt Schnell.
Former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade and rising star Natalia Silva also received additional cash prizes.