@CageWarriors/TwitterIf you’re remotely squeamish, then I suggest you click on another article, as you won’t want to read any more.
MMA fighter Sofiane Boukichou’s fight at the Cage Warriors 101 at the Echo Arena, Liverpool on Saturday night (February 16), ended on a painful note.
The frenchman was fighting England’s Tom Aspinall, in the night’s main event.
In the first round of their heavyweight bout, Boukichou attempts to kick Aspinall in the leg, but as it’s checked, a sickening loud crack rang out around the Octagon.
Just 81 seconds into the clash, Boukichou breaks his leg. The fighter falls backwards, and cries out in agony, before the referee rushes towards him.
Cage Warriors shared footage of the accident on their Twitter page writing, ‘with that much power, anything can happen’.
It’s the sound of the crack which gets me:
Not for the faint hearted
With that much power, anything can happen. #CW101 pic.twitter.com/LC3qYSdek0
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) February 17, 2019
While Aspinall improved his record to 6-2-0, Boukichou headed straight to hospital.
The president of Cage Warriors, Graham Boylan, shared a photo of Boukichou in good spirits from his hospital bed, on Twitter.
Boylan confirmed the fighter would be undergoing surgery, writing:
He’s all smiles and in good spirits, a little op tomorrow and he will head home, he’ll be back dancing soon.
He’s all smiles & in good spirits , a little op tomorrow & @boukichou_sofiane will head home, he’ll be back dancing soon. #warrior #mma @cagewarriors pic.twitter.com/z3EIzUmtbu
— Graham Boylan
(@GrahamBoylan) February 17, 2019
Boukichou has received plenty of sympathy and support from a load of MMA fans, as he now begins the recovery process.
Many have taken to Twitter to wish him all the best, with one person writing:
Ah no. CW101 main event has finished, seems like Boukichou broke his leg when Aspinall checked his kick. Hope he’s OK.
Ah no. #CW101 main event has finished, seems like Boukichou broke his leg when Aspinall checked his kick. Hope he's OK
— James Quinn (@JamesQuinn87) February 16, 2019
While another tweeted:
Saw the main event finish at CW101 – horrible, freak injury. Wish Sofiane Boukichou all the best.
Saw the main event finish at #CW101 – horrible, freak injury. Wish Sofiane Boukichou all the best
— Elis Sandford (@Elis_Sandford) February 16, 2019
One person meanwhile praised Aspinall for immediately walking away:
The crack of the bone breaking can be clearly heard, and Boukichou immediately collapses.
Aspinall immediately walks away, knowing the fight is over and not wanting to attack his foe.
The crack of the bone breaking can be clearly heard, and Boukichou immediately collapses
Aspinall immediately walks away, knowing the fight is over and not wanting to attack his foe pic.twitter.com/8liIV9NdxX— Lilian Chan (@bestgug) February 17, 2019
While Boukichou’s injury looked agonising with his leg seemingly turning to jelly, it’s not the worst injury I’ve seen in MMA.
In May last year, Jerome Rivera dislocated his arm, leaving it dangling unnaturally during a flyweight bout against Brandon Royval at the Legacy Fighting Alliance 39 event in Vail, Colorado.
Unfortunately for Rivera he had to take a number of strikes before the referee noticed the injury and stopped the fight.
You can watch footage of the incident here, but remember, you can’t unsee it:
Well this just happened at #LFA39…
@LFAfighting @brandonroyval pic.twitter.com/7QgERTvczT
— AXS TV Fights (@AXSTVFights) May 5, 2018
Arms just shouldn’t do that!
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