UFC fighter left with horror injuries, as fans slam referee for not stepping in sooner
The two featherweights clashed in a prelim battle at the Etihad Arena, but it was Nguyen, a product of Dana White's Contender Series, who etched himself into octagon history.
The 32-year-old knocked down his rival six times, smashing the record for total number of knockdowns in a single fight in the championship's history.
The previous record of five was shared by Jeremy Stephens (who defeated Gilbert Melendez in 2017) and Forrest Petz (who defeated Sammy Morgan in 2006).
However, shockingly, Yahya managed to bounce back from every single one - at a cost.
Yahya, who was fighting in front of a home crowd in the UAE, was left disfigured by the hammering at the hands of Nguyen.
In addition to the bloodied cuts littering his face, the Emirati fighter also suffered a hematoma - a closed wound where blood collects outside of vessels - which caused his left eye to swell, forcing it shut.
Yahya, who staggeringly managed a knockdown of his own in the round, had stumbled to the corner after round one, having to be dragged to his stool by his cornerman.
As he sat in his corner, the horrific swelling was evident, forcing referee Jason Herzog and doctors to put an end to his pain, handing the victory to Nguyen by doctor's stoppage.
However, some MMA fans felt the stoppage didn't come soon enough as they slammed Herzog for not intervening.
One fan account posted on social media: 'Herzog needs to be fired that's not a beating that's a life changing injury[...] Hopefully yahya gets better and Jason gets f****n fired.'
Another asked: 'Damn did the ref bet decision or something this is crazy.'
A third wrote: 'Herzog is in a "if he dies he dies" mood,' quoting Dolph Lndgren's character Ivan Drago from the movie Rocky IV.
Meanwhile, yet another claimed that 'the referee should be fined and jailed' as they replied to a photo of Yahya's gruesome injury.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
Dana White's brutal Jon Jones decision defended by Joe Rogan as UFC icon faces yet more legal trouble
JOE ROGAN has defended Dana White's brutal snubbing of Jon Jones for the UFC's proposed White House card next year. The former two-division champion performed a U-turn on retirement less than two weeks after hanging up his gloves following news of the promotion's plans to stage a card at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 4 4 4 White was initially open to the idea of Jones topping the blockbuster bill along with Conor McGregor, but has since performed a U-turn. During the UFC 318 post-fight press conference, he said: "I can't risk putting him in big positions, in a big spot, and have something go wrong. "Especially the White House card." And the UFC headhoncho's sentiment has been echoed by veteran commentator Rogan, who sided with his good friend during a recent episode of his podcast. He said of Jones: "Now he wants to fight for the title at the White House. "And Dana is like 'Nope, I can't trust Jon to not f*** something up.' Which is wild. "But also what are you going to say when Jon just recently got in more trouble? It's a story as old as time, isn't it?" Jones, 38, was recently charged with leaving the scene of an accident in New Mexico, where a woman was found 'exhibiting signs of significant intoxication and lacking clothing from the waist down" in February. 4 The woman claims Jones was the driver of the vehicle and fled the scene before the police arrived. According to the police report, she then called the MMA icon, who is alleged to have made "allusions to violence" during a conversation with the authorities.. Tom Aspinall Fires Not So Subtle Dig At Jon Jones After UFC Retirement (1) Jones has vehemently denied the allegation, claiming the woman found in the car drove away from his house while intoxicated. Despite his recent brush with the law and White's recent comments, Jones remains confident of fighting at the White House. He wrote on X: "I heard the comments made at last night's press conference. "While I was a little disappointed, I'm still in the UFC's drug testing pool, staying sharp, and continuing to train like a professional. I'll be ready for whatever comes next. 'In a recent interview, I shared that the opportunity to fight at the White House gave me something deeper to fight for, a 'why' that goes beyond paychecks or belts. "Fighting for my country gives me a greater purpose! 'The silver lining in all this is knowing the fans see my heart. They see, I am ready and willing to take on anyone, to represent my country on a historic stage. 'For me, it's never been just about the opponent. I'm chasing legacy, something timeless, something bigger than the moment. 'So for now, I'll keep grinding, stay patient, and stay faithful. "I'm ready to fight on July 4th. #IndependenceDay.'
Daily Record
15 hours ago
- Daily Record
Stirling UFC fighter insists he's on top form ahead of Vegas showdown
Chris Duncan steps into the Octagon against his Polish opponent with the aim of making his move up the lightweight rankings. Stirling fighter Chris Duncan is full of confidence as he prepares to step back into the UFC Octagon in Las Vegas tomorrow night - and believes he is as best as he's ever been. The 32-year-old, who competes in the lightweight division, is set to take on Poland's Mateusz Rebecki on the Fight Night at the Apex in Sin City, aiming to make it three wins in a row on his quest to climb the rankings. He comes into the contest off the back of a confident two-round win over England's Jordan Vucenic in March and has been hard at work in the famous American Top Team gym in Florida refining his skills ahead of the big fight. Speaking to the Observer from Vegas, Duncan praised the importance of the training he receives at the facility in moulding his style. He said: 'It's been good, I was at American Top Team for eight weeks and then I've come across to Vegas for the final preparations. 'My weight is good and where it usually is, so I'm just looking to get in there now and start clashing. 'I think everyone can see that I've changed as a fighter, but the only reason why that is because are seeing more of me; before the UFC I was bleaching people and putting them away quickly, where the guys in the UFC are a little harder to get away. 'I feel like I'm close to complete because I work hard on every bad bit of my game and I focus on that. I always work on the worst stuff and fixing the bad areas because that is a good route. 'Being over in these big American gyms has taught me a lot, mainly in terms of periodisation and when to push and not to, when to spar hard and when not to. 'The coaches at ATT are different from your gym at home where the coach is the owner and maybe has to worry about bringing money in and so on, there are coaches paid there just to worry about the fighters. 'I'm very lucky to have tied in with the best; some of us were laughing because one of the coaches, Mike Brown, has about 1000 videos on his phone of various fights which we can try to pick from to capitalise on the night.' The challenge presented by Rebecki - who carries the nickname 'Rebeasti' - is set to be a stiff one, with the Pole carrying a 20-2 record across his MMA record and a 4-1 ledger in the bright lights of the UFC. Moving from the O2 to the hustle and bustle of Vegas could leave some staring up at the sky, but Duncan insists the outside influences are less of a factor - and he'll be able to focus on a small patch of Scottish support in the arena on the night. 'When I first came over to the UFC, I didn't know much about how it ran - I didn't know they supplied meals for example - but you get used to things and as one of my training partners says, we've done this a million times and practice every week', Duncan adds. 'The crowd being there doesn't change anything now for me and if I do as much as I can in my training camp to try and filter out the bad thoughts deep down, then I know that will be in there will be and I can't do any more. 'I would love for him to run into one of my right hands or leg and get things done a minute in - that would be f*****g fantastic. 'I think I've got about eight people coming across to watch so that's good and they will bring a bit of Scotland in there.'
Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Oleksandr Usyk's next fight could be against Jake Paul
Joshua has been dealt a blow in his pursuit of Jake Paul after Oleksandr Usyk's team confirmed that talks are underway for the Ukrainian to face the social media star in MMA Anthony Joshua might be facing a setback as Oleksandr Usyk 's camp has indicated that discussions are 'underway' for a potential bout with Jake Paul - but only if is in the cage. Paul - who signed with the PFL in 2023 - is yet to debut in MMA. The 'Problem Child' has promised to start training soon, and it seems Usyk is on his radar. "Yeah, I want to be like Holly (Holm) here and test my skills in the cage," he said back in May when asked about his MMA ambitions. "That's something I'm super, super interested in, and I think it would be a very, very big spectacle. Nate Diaz is still ducking, but we would need to find the right opponent. [Oleksandr] Usyk, maybe." Following this, Usyk's team has expressed interest in an MMA showdown with Paul. The social media star-turned-boxer was present for the Ukrainian's victory over Daniel Dubois last month, and their post-fight ring face-off hinted at a future fight. Just a few weeks after their tense meeting, Sergey Lapin, director of Team Usyk, disclosed that negotiations have begun for Usyk to take on Paul in the MMA cage, potentially as soon as early 2026. In a conversation with Plejmo, Lapin stated: "The team is currently working on the next fight. We're looking at a few options, focusing on those who make sense both sport-wise and in terms of audience interest and status," reports All Out Fighting. "Almost every fighter has called out Jake Paul. But our story is different. For us it's about MMA, something non-standard, and that's where its power lies. We're not talking about a boxing match with Oleksandr Usyk, no disrespect to Jake, but in MMA the chances are more even. Jake has some experience, while Oleksandr would have to adapt quickly. This could become a massive show with a huge global audience. Talks are already underway, and if everything lines up, the fight could happen early next year." This revelation comes as a major blow to Joshua, who has been itching for a crack at the American. Earlier this year, Paul shockingly called out the two-time heavyweight champion for a fight. The pair then verbally agreed to a dust-up over the phone. Whispers suggested their clash might be slated for late next year. But in a twist, Paul's promoter and business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, revealed to Sky Sports that they are hashing things out with Eddie Hearn for a much sooner date. "I think the fight can absolutely happen," he declared. "I'm looking at it as Jake versus Joshua, which is quite biblical, and it's quite impactful in many ways. I think size wise, we can get comfortable with it, and I think experience wise, Jake is learning very fast and growing, and Joshua is a little long in the tooth. So it could be a very interesting matchup, and we're actively discussing it with Matchroom. "I think we're looking at it happening at the start of 2026. It's public that AJ was taking a little time away, I think he had a little surgery. So once he's ready, and once Jake is ready, we're going to squarely focus on that. It's a fight that Jake wants to do, and that's a discussion we've had at length, and he feels very confident about where he is in his career and his chances of upsetting Anthony Joshua." When is Jake Paul's next fight? After his triumph over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr back in June, Paul is eager to stay busy in the ring. The internet sensation can now compete for a world championship after being included in the WBC's cruiserweight rankings following his victory over the former middleweight titleholder. The 28-year-old's representative disclosed that his client is determined to challenge for a world title 'as soon as possible'. Nevertheless, he acknowledges it's unlikely to be his immediate next bout, considering the current landscape at cruiserweight. "Absolutely [he will fight again this year]. November or December," Bidarian told Ariel Helwani when questioned about Paul's upcoming plans. "I'm seeing him tonight for dinner, and we will have a conversation [about his next opponent]. The only possibility right now is that Jake wants to fight for a belt as soon as possible. I have to talk to him, I think it's tough this year [to box for a world title]. Badou Jack is who he wants to fight more than anyone, and he has a mandatory rematch with the guy he just beat [Noel Mikaelian] for the WBC. I don't know if this year is possible [for the title fight], but we'll see."
