In a surprising turn of events, a light heavyweight bout in Germany was abruptly stopped due to a surprising injury.
The clash took place during the main card of Oktagon 44 at the renowned Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. Mateusz Strzelczyk and Rafael Xavier engaged in a fierce exchange of leg kicks, resulting in a huge injury for Strzelczyk.
During the intense third round, both Strzelczyk (14-14-1) and Xavier (12-7) unleashed powerful leg kicks simultaneously. The impact of their strikes echoed through the arena, resembling the sound of two baseball bats colliding. Unfortunately, the consequences were dire for Strzelczyk as his right leg suffered significant damage.
In the aftermath of the leg kick exchange, Strzelczyk experienced an excruciating injury. As he attempted to step backward, his right shin gave way and collapsed beneath him.
On witnessing the outcome, Xavier was overcome with shock and disbelief. He placed both hands on his head, turning away from the heart-wrenching scene. The referee promptly intervened, calling an end to the match.
For those who can bear to watch, a video capturing the leg break has been shared on Twitter.
Due to the severity of the injury, Xavier was declared the winner by TKO at 2:47 of Round 3. This victory marked his triumphant return, although the manner in which he claimed victory was far from what he anticipated. He previously suffered from a split decision loss to Pavol Langer at Oktagon 39 in February.
Sadly, Strzelczyk witnessed his impressive streak of three consecutive stoppage victories come to an abrupt end. The injury serves as a significant setback in his combat sports career, leaving him to recover from this traumatic experience. We hope he recovers soon and wish him the best.
Injuries like these have become more common ever since the calf kick meta permeated MMA. While there have been catastrophic injuries before, ATT’s Mike Brown and the work he’s done with Dustin Poirier has received some of the credit in addition to Justin Gaethje.