UFC legend Frankie Edgar was unrecognisable after being knocked out by a kick dispatched from the darkest depths of hell during his loss to Marlon “Chito” Vera on the UFC 268 card on Sunday.
The former lightweight world champion was knocked out cold in the third round by a kick from Vera that landed flush on his chin. The ugly moment was captured in gruesome detail in a photo that showed the brutal force of how the kick rocked Edgar to his foundations and rearranged his face.
Vera has been on a tear through the bantamweight division, rebounding from a Jose Aldo loss last year, to outpoint Davey Grant in the summer before finishing Edgar this weekend. His credentials in the division are considerable, particularly as the strike that ended Edgar's participation in the 135-pound match
The Madison Square Garden crowd in New York lost it when the fight was stopped moments after Edgar toppled forward and collapsed as a result of the kick.
It was a massive upset in the eyes of bookmakers and UFC commentators, making the strike even more staggering. UFC commentators around the world had their jaws dropped by the kick. It is now four losses for Edgar in his last five fights, leaving his career at a crossroads.
Vera earned a healthy Performance of the Night bonus for his incredible KO. "In the cage it’s my family or yours and my family is more important to me," he said on his impressive win. "We drill those things up the middle. I work hard. I go hard. That immigrant mentality, it’s forever."
Incredibly his knockout was arguably trumped by several other stoppages on an insane card that featured seven knockout results. Vera's victory was one of several highlights at the iconic venue as Kamaru Usman and Rose Namajunas retained their respective titles. Usman earned a unanimous points win over bitter rival Colby Covington while Namajunas edged out Weili Zhang in their sequel.
And in the lightweight division, Justin Gaethje likely earned himself another title shot by beating Michael Chandler in a predictably brutal encounter. Both men were taken to hospital afterwards but were each rewarded with a $50,000 (Ksh 5 Million) bonus cheque.
The UFC now turns its attention to Sunday’s fight night event between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez and December’s UFC 269 card featuring Charles Oliveira’s fight with Dustin Poirier.