UFC featherweight fighter Melquizael Costa suffered a severe foot injury just minutes into his fight at UFC Vegas 106, despite ultimately securing a victory.
Melquizael Costa extended his winning streak with a tough decision victory over Julian Erosa on Saturday. While he walked away with another impressive win, Costa sustained a nasty foot injury early in the action, which clearly impacted him.
Footage from the UFC Vegas 106 broadcast showed Costa`s left foot bleeding noticeably between the first and second rounds. However, Costa seemed to wave off the injury and later, in his post-fight interview, appeared confused about how his foot became cut during the bout against Erosa.
The featherweight clash went the distance at the Apex facility, with Costa winning by unanimous decision after a three-round battle.
Dana White Reveals Melquizael Costa’s Foot Injury Severity After UFC Vegas 106
Despite seemingly downplaying any foot issue immediately after the fight, the true extent of Costa`s injury became apparent shortly after the event concluded. UFC CEO Dana White shared disturbing footage on his Instagram story, revealing a significant laceration on one of Costa’s toes that resulted in his entire foot being covered in blood.
Gruesome in-fight injuries are not uncommon in mixed martial arts. For example, UFC flyweight Asu Almabayev recently shared graphic photos of a serious eye injury sustained from an accidental poke by Manel Kape.
Fortunately, Costa was transported to a local hospital soon after his UFC Vegas 106 win to receive treatment for his injured foot. The rising featherweight contender had entered this fight on a winning streak, having defeated Christian Rodriguez, Andre Fili, and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in his previous outings.
As of now, the recovery time needed for Costa`s foot injury remains uncertain. Hopefully, this won`t keep him sidelined for too long, allowing him to continue his progress in the competitive UFC featherweight division.
UFC Vegas 106 Fighter Withdraws Due to `Herpes` on Short Notice
Costa`s mid-fight injury was just one notable event during an eventful night at UFC Vegas 106. The card`s co-main event was dramatically canceled with only minutes to spare when light heavyweight Rodolfo Bellato was pulled from his scheduled bout against Paul Craig for a highly unusual reason.
When news of Bellato’s last-minute withdrawal broke on the UFC Vegas 106 broadcast, fans and commentators were initially given little information about the reason for the light heavyweight`s removal. The broadcast vaguely referred to an unspecified ‘medical issue’ on Bellato’s part as the cause for the fight being postponed indefinitely.
However, in a post on his Instagram story after the event, Bellato himself claimed `herpes` was the reason for his fight being canceled at the last second. It is still unclear whether the UFC medical staff made the decision to pull Bellato or if he withdrew himself from the card.
The fight between Bellato and Craig is expected to be rebooked for a future event. Paul Craig has not yet publicly commented on Bellato’s withdrawal. Regardless of the circumstances, Bellato`s short-notice cancelation ranks among the most bizarre reasons seen for a UFC fight being scratched.
Jack Thornley