Rafael dos Anjos, the ex-UFC lightweight champion, recently revealed that he suffered a gnarly injury, leading up to his fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2014…
Where he almost lost his ear.
It all took place during the fight camp.
A freak accident in training led to his ear almost getting torn after being caught in the MMA cage.
This forced him to “forget” about any grappling and to focus solely on striking, so as to not worsen the injury:
In the lead-up to the Khabib fight, I encountered an unforeseen obstacle.
My ear… I still vividly remember… It got entangled in the cage, nearly detaching entirely.
I underwent a procedure, receiving 14 stitches at the rear of my ear.The experience left me shaken, prompting an immediate trip to the hospital for treatment.
Dos Anjos continued to explain:
This incident occurred precisely seven weeks before the bout.
Consequently, I abstained from wrestling and grappling training, fearful of aggravating my injury.
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