Daniel Frunza suffered what many UFC fans have described as the worst injury in the promotion’s history on Saturday night.
UFC CEO Dana White shared gruesome footage of the Romanian’s injury after he was badly beaten by Irish star Rhys McKee in Las Vegas.
McKee, who made his UFC debut against Khamzat Chimaev in 2020, subsequently claimed his first win in the promotion after a first-round doctor’s stoppage.
Despite McKee’s impressive performance, it was his opponent’s nasty cut that sparked the most reaction from MMA fans.
White took to Instagram after the bout and posted sickening, up-close footage which showed Frunza’s upper lip had completely exploded.
The UFC boss then showed the aftermath of the Romanian’s injury after he had been stitched up doctor’s as UFC fans were left squirming.
One fan responded to the footage on X, saying: “Is this one of the worst lip injuries in the UFC?”
While another added: “What the actual f*** bro…that might be the most disgusting cut I’ve ever seen.”
A third said: “That’s sickening,” and a fourth responded: “It takes a different type of mindset to fight for a living.”
McKee put on a clinical display during his preliminary bout with Frunza, scoring four knockdowns in the first round as his opponent’s face blew up.
The welterweight from Ballymena, Northern Ireland lost on his UFC debut to now-middleweight title challenger Chimaev and went on to suffer three decision defeats in a row afterwards.
The 29-year-old’s bout with Frunza was only his fifth in the promotion, but his 21st professional MMA bout overall.
‘Skeletor’ oozed confidence in his post-fight media interview while acknowledging the importance of his victory for himself and his country.
“Rhys McKee has finally arrived to the UFC,” he said.
“It was a detour over a few years but this win has been 14 or 15 years in the making, and we got it done in true Rhys McKee fashion.
“I probably never truly believed how good I was until this fight camp. I have woke up everyday dreaming about how I was going to finish this fight.
“I just knew I was gonna win. It was in my heart and soul, I never questioned winning here tonight and look what happens when you believe that much.”
McKee then suggested he wants a further two fights this year against anyone who wants to come forward in the welterweight division.
GRAPHIC WARNING
“It’s a big responsibility for the country of Ireland. A lot of them are winning at the minute,” he added.
“We’ve got [Paul Hughes], we’ve got Caolan [Loughran]…loads of guys winning…but I had to be winning to stay in the party.”
Elsewhere at UFC Vegas 105, Manchester’s Lerone Murphy was victorious over Josh Emmett in the main event.
Murphy is now undefeated in 16 bouts and called for a top five ranked featherweight after the victory.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com ahead of his Vegas win, ‘Murphy ‘The Miracle’ revealed his desire to fight ex-UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volanovski for the title.
“He’s a legend,” Murphy said. “And I think if you have Volkanovski on your record, like when you look back on your career, for me, it’s not really about money.
“It’s about status and what I can tell my kids and what I can look back on.
“Like when you get old, all you’ve got is memories, and you’re looking back on what you’ve done.
“To be able to say, ‘I fought Volkanovski’ would be a big one.”
