Three Fighters Hospitalized After UFC 332, Pulyaev Suffers Broken Jaw
Court McGee, Andrey Pulyaev and Bruce Whitehead were all taken to hospital after a brutal night in Salt Lake City.
The record-setting violence at UFC 332 came with a cost.
Three fighters were transported to a local hospital in Salt Lake City following Saturday night's card at the Delta Center, per UFC officials. The event produced a UFC-record 11 knockouts, nine of them in the first round, and three of those finishes sent fighters straight to medical evaluation.
Andrey Pulyaev suffered the most serious confirmed injury: a broken jaw sustained in his 75-second knockout loss to Damian Pinas in a middleweight bout. Pinas landed a vicious uppercut that put Pulyaev out cold, earning a Performance of the Night bonus. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the broken jaw at the post-fight press conference.
Court McGee underwent precautionary CT scans of his head and face after being knocked out by Eric Nolan in a welterweight fight. The 37-year-old McGee, a longtime UFC veteran, announced his retirement following the loss.
Bruce Whitehead received a precautionary testicular ultrasound after absorbing a low blow before being knocked out by Jacobe Smith in a welterweight bout during his UFC debut. Not exactly the way you want your first octagon appearance to end.
Results from McGee's CT scans and Whitehead's ultrasound had not been publicly disclosed at the time of publication.
Eleven knockouts in one night makes for incredible television and a record the UFC will promote for years. But three guys in the hospital is the part that does not make the highlight reel.
Pulyaev's broken jaw is the price of admission in this sport, and Pinas's uppercut was absolutely terrifying. That is the kind of shot that changes a career trajectory. McGee announcing his retirement after a knockout loss at 37 is sad but probably overdue, and I hope his scans came back clean. And Whitehead? A low blow and a knockout in your UFC debut is about as rough a welcome as you can get.
The UFC set a finish record and handed out $400,000 in bonuses on a card that people were complaining about before it started. The entertainment value was real. But nights like this remind you that every highlight-reel knockout is somebody's worst day at the office.
KEEP TALKING FIGHTS.
MMACourt McGee Pens Emotional Goodbye After Retiring at UFC 332
MMASean Strickland Says UFC Forced Him Into New Contract Before Title Fight
MMAUFC Vegas 122 Weigh-Ins: Three Fighters Miss Weight, Bonfim Comes in Nearly Nine Pounds Heavy
MMA