As brutal as they are, leg breaks are part of the game in MMA. They can be chalked down to one of the most hazardous parts of the job, as a young American fighter named Dylan Reischman found out this weekend. In the past, there have been many notable fighters who have suffered the unfortunate fate of a leg break.
This phenomenon generally occurs when the opponent, checks kicks by timing it right before the extension, causing the leg to break in half. But in the case of Reischman, it occurred when his opponent, Jaime Mora, attempted to slam him to the ground after pinning him to the cage.
Warning: A massive trigger warning to those inclined to watch the videos. The scenes are gruesome and not for the lighthearted.
Worst leg break in MMA history⁉️
I think YES‼️😳🤯pic.twitter.com/1PwxDogE3U— Your Girl Drea 👊🏼💥 (@Drea_MMA) September 3, 2023
During this maneuver, Reichman’s leg landed awkwardly on the ground right before being slammed and snapped in half. The gnarly image was akin to him being folded in half on top of himself. The fighter immediately called the referee’s attention to his leg, causing the latter to stop the fight and beckon the medical team.
The circumstances of this incident seem more heartbreaking considering the fact that the 21-year-old featherweight was making his debut at Combat Global: Ferreira vs. Morales. He had an amateur record of 3-1 before turning pro. Hopefully, he heals fast and makes a return to the sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular fighters who have suffered a similar fate.
Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva, and Chris Weidman’s leg break
When Conor McGregor took on Dustin Poirier for their trilogy, many expected an enthralling fight. Unsurprisingly, few would have anticipated what actually transpired. Before coming into the fight, both had one win each via knockout.
Therefore, this would have been the deciding factor in determining the superiority of the ultimate fighter. Unfortunately, horrific scenes ensued at the end of round one when McGregor’s ankle snapped as he attempted to step back.
Another UFC legend in the form of Anderson Silva had a similar experience when fighting against Chris Weidman in their rematch at UFC 168 in December 2013. During the fight, Silva had his leg kick checked by Weidman, which resulted in a break, causing his leg to dangle about unnaturally. Silva was seen gripping his leg in anguish, and blood-curdling screams were heard throughout the octagon because of the excruciating pain.
Fast forward to 2021, and Weidman broke his leg in exactly the same manner as Silva when he threw the very first kick of the fight against Uriah Hall at UFC 261. In an uncanny turn of events, Hall checked Wiedman’s kick and snapped his leg in half, and the bout ended in just 17 seconds.
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