Warning: The following article contains graphic content that some readers may find disturbing.
A Cage Warriors MMA event in London was recently overshadowed by a lightweight fight that ended in a doctor`s stoppage due to a truly disgusting eye injury. The bout between Tariq Pell and Ermil Xhaferi took an unfortunate turn in the first round.
Doctor Halts Cage Warriors 186 Fight After Gruesome Injury
Out of the fourteen fights at Cage Warriors 186, eight ended prematurely. However, the most unsettling stoppage occurred during the lightweight match between Tariq Pell of England and Ermil Xhaferi representing Albania.
Towards the end of the first round, Pell landed a significant blow on Xhaferi. Subsequently, Xhaferi made the ill-advised decision to blow his nose, seemingly exacerbating a pre-existing injury. Almost instantly, his right eye socket began to swell dramatically.
Commentators noted the horrifying moment, stating, “You can literally see – as he blows his nose – you can literally see the eye swell up like a balloon.” Footage clearly illustrated the rapid escalation of the injury.
The ringside doctor was immediately called to assess Xhaferi. A brief examination was all it took; the fight was promptly stopped due to the severity of the injury.
Following the fight, Tariq Pell insisted that the outcome be declared a knockout rather than a doctor`s stoppage, as announced. He stated, “He couldn’t continue, so it’s a knockout… If you’re on the battlefield and that happened, I’d come and cut his head off because he wasn’t ready to carry on… Job done.”
MMA Community Reacts to Xhaferi’s Nasty Eye Injury
Unsurprisingly, clips of Ermil Xhaferi’s fight-ending eye injury quickly spread across social media platforms, with widespread shock and disgust from MMA fans. Reactions largely echoed sentiments like, “Oh my God, that’s horrific.”
One commenter humorously compared Xhaferi’s appearance to Harvey Dent from Batman, while another likened it to a character from “Celebrity Deathmatch.”
Another viewer expressed sheer disbelief: “Oh. My. God. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an eye that bad.”
Another fan quipped, “Bro blew up like he was allergic to being punched in the face,” while someone else commended the referee, Marc Goddard, for seemingly attempting to caution Xhaferi against blowing his nose.
With this victory, Tariq Pell`s professional record improves to 5-1, while Ermil Xhaferi`s record falls to 5-2-1.
