UFC 306: Irene Aldana suffers ‘worst cut ever’ in Sphere defeat

UFC 306 fans have all had the same reaction after a brutal women’s bantamweight fight in the Las Vegas Sphere.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

MMA superstar Sean O’Malley’s latest title defence might be the main event, but a women’s bantamweight fight has stolen the show at UFC 306 in Las Vegas.

Fifth-ranked Irene Aldana took on Brazilian Norma Dumont in the stunning Sphere venue in Nevada in the final bout on the preliminary card.

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And it proved worthy of getting to the extraordinary venue or switching on a screen early, perhaps if you didn't have a full stomach.

After a tight opening in the three-round contest, Aldana started bleeding profusely after a clash of heads opened a deep cut over her right eye in the second round.

“So a nasty gash, slot machine-esque, on the forehead of Irene Aldana,” Jon Anik said in commentary.

“It was a clash of heads, the cut man did what he could, but Aldana is leaking.”

Irene Aldana's brutal injuries at UFC 306. Photos: AFP/Fox Sports

It only got worse from there as Dumont continued to target her Mexican opponent’s face.

“(Aldana) wants to fight. At this point, you’ve got to,” UFC legend Daniel Cormier said.

“She can’t even see there’s so much blood leaking.”

Constantly wiping blood from her face, somehow 36-year-old Aldana just kept moving forward and while she lost the fight 30-27 from all three judges to slip to 15-8 in her career, she won plenty of admirers for her toughness.

Dumont improved to 12-2 and rose one spot to No. 8 in the rankings.

“Irene Aldana is a warrior!” was one comment on X. “Fought all the way to the end!

“Mexicans are tough, respect!”

Another stated: “She’s badass!!!”

It’s not uncommon for UFC combatants to leave the Octagon bloodied and bruised.

But fans were struggling to grasp what they had just seen, with a shocking black eye and other cuts completing Aldana’s post-fight look.

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley (left) is fighting Merab Dvalishvili in the main event. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

An outside shot of the incredible Sphere in Las Vegas.

“Did she fight a bear bro?” was one question from a fight fan.

“Who’d she fight, King Kong??” asked another.

“Aldana looks like she just lost a knife fight,” added a third.

The fighters embraced after the fight and when Aldana’s corner had attempted to clean her face, the crowd got a clear look at the enormous cut on her forehead.

There were gasps from the crowd as the commentators tried to describe what they were seeing.

Even current strawweight title-holder Zhang Weili put her head in her hands when she saw Aldana on the giant screen inside the Sphere.

“Massive gash courtesy of that head clash,” Anik said.

Irene Aldana before the fight.

“And that is, wow, that is a cut unlike many that I have seen. Perhaps some plastic surgery on the other end.

“Zhang Weili has been in a lot of wars herself and what a reaction from the UFC strawweight champion.”

A number of fans were focusing on the cut on social media.

One wrote: “That cut was BRUTAL! Could go down as one of the worst in UFC history! Hope the fighter’s okay after that bloodbath.”

Another declared: “Irene Aldana might have just taken the lead for worst cut in history in her #UFC306 loss to Norma Dumont.”

A third followed the same theme, writing: “Good lord!! Aldana gets the worst cut I think I’ve ever seen in the UFC.”

Originally published as UFC 306: Irene Aldana suffers ‘worst cut ever’ in Sphere defeat