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Sep 16, 2013 · The doctor told him to rest for four weeks and the ear would return to normal; Couture went back to practice the next day. His ears filled again. The doctor drained them.
- Eli Saslow
- Kelvin Gastelum
- Khabib Nurmagomedov
- James Thompson
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueria
- Tony Ferguson
- Ryan Hall
- Bj Penn
- Alexander Gustafsson
- Rafael Dos Anjos
- Demetrious Johnson
Before Kelvin Gastelumwas winning the Ultimate Fighter, and putting on some of the greatest fights in UFC history, he was a high school wrestler. This early start to a combat sports career has helped see him become an exciting fighter. Although as his skills progressed, he transitioned to putting a higher focus on his striking, utilizing head movem...
Growing up in Dagestan, Khabib Nurmagomedovspent much of his time on the training mats. His father, the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, not only coached him, but other children in the area. Therefore by the time he could walk, Khabib was training. And we all know about his infamous bear wrestling video. That being said, we already know that this type...
Although not the most notable career, James Thompsonfought professionally for nearly a decade in a half. He bounced around various promotions as a heavyweight, never quite making it into the UFC. On the other hand, he has a multitude of fights under the Pride banner, as well as Bellator, Rizin, and KSW. These many fights have earned Thompson the ba...
Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueriaand his twin brother both grew up in Brazil and training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As such, both men have developed some pretty aggressive cauliflower ear over their careers. However Antonio’s is particularly bad, with the kinds of road bumps that only reserved for school zones and parking lots. Although he never quite reache...
Usually when Tony Fergusonsteps into an Octagon, he is often the one doing damage. He notably went on a tremendous 12-fight winning streak in the shark tank that is the UFC’s lightweight division. Despite this crazy string of victories, nearly every bout was a bloody war, with a mix of stand up, clinch, and ground exchanges that were always as at a...
TUF 22 winner Ryan Hallis known as one of the trickiest fighters in the UFC, causing problems for all the opponents he faces. This comes from his background as a skilled BJJ black belt, with a specialty in the 50/50 position. This is a position where your legs are interlocked with your opponents, allowing for a variety of ankle locks. As someone wh...
Speaking of BJ Penn,“The Prodigy” is another world class Jiu-Jitsu practitioner with some awful cauliflower ear. He was the first American to win gold at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships. Not to mention the fact that he is one of the best lightweight fighters in UFC history. Over the years, Baby Jay has been in some crazy fights, both in and out o...
Alexander Gustafssonmay go by the nickname “The Mauler,” but his ears have been mauled themselves. The kickboxer has been in some serious wars in the Octagon, coming ultra close to winning the light heavyweight title on multiple occasions. These brutal contests have seen the Swede develop some seriously damaged auditory units. The extent of Gustafs...
Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjosis a tough out for anybody he faces. In fact, Dana White has specifically stated that he looks at the Brazilian as a litmus test for up and coming fighters, to determine how elite. Across two divisions he has held his own with the best of the best, for more than a decade. One of things that makes RDA ...
Demetrious Johnsonwas donned the moniker “Mighty Mouse” not only because of his small stature, but also because he has some pretty large ears. Therefore it comes as no surprise that he has developed some hardcore cauliflower ear. Such is the price you pay for being one of the Greatest Of All Time. To be honest, his ears may be some of the most amou...
- Derek Hall
Sep 16, 2013 · He went to a doctor, who stabbed his upper ear with a supersize syringe and drained it of blood and pus. "It feels like somebody is digging a tunnel through the side of your head," he says. The...
- Eli Saslow
People also ask
Does Randy Couture have a bad ear?
Did 'the eagle' have cauliflower ears inside the UFC?
Why do MMA fighters have rough ears?
What's wrong with Michael Gustafsson's ear?
Jan 11, 2024 · MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture has arguably the worst cauliflower ears of any fighter ever. After years of Greco-Roman wrestling and MMA, Randy doesn’t have ears.
- Randy Couture. The gold standard for cauliflower ears in the UFC has to be Randy Couture. The UFC Hall of Famer and all-time great won the UFC Heavyweight title on three occasions and the UFC Light-Heavyweight title twice, and his fights with Chuck Liddell, Tim Sylvia and Tito Ortiz are part of UFC legend.
- Ramiz Brahimaj. New York’s Ramiz Brahimaj debuted in the UFC in November, and upon his arrival in the promotion, his cauliflower ears were not really noticeable.
- Leslie Smith. Leslie Smith is perhaps best known today for her attempts to unionise UFC fighters through a movement labelled Project Spearhead. But prior to that, ‘The Peacemaker’ was able to put together a decent UFC record of 4-3 – and even welcomed Cris Cyborg to the Octagon in 2016.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov. UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently announced his retirement from MMA, after putting together an unbeaten record of 29-0 over twelve years of action.
Cauliflower ear is when an MMA fighter gets gnarly-as ears that look like they’ve been chewed by a hyena. Only last year, Leslie Smith’s ear exploded at UFC 180, blood spurting everywhere and the whole thing practically ripped off. But cauliflower ear isn’t a recent problem for MMA fighters.
One of the most famous fighters with cauliflower ears is former UFC fighter, Randy Couture. However, many fighters have since joined him in getting deformed ears. Here is a list of some of the worst cauliflower ears in the UFC: Khabib Nurmagomedov; BJ_Penn; Dan Henderson; Conor McGregor; Colby Covington; Leslie Smith; Leslie Smith Exploded ...
