During the prelims of UFC 180 this past Saturday night, viewers saw one of the most grotesque in cage injuries imaginable take place: Leslie Smith's ear nearly fell clean off her head after taking damage from opponent Jessica Eye. The ear had heavy cauliflowering, and such injuries are common in the world of pro fighting and amateur wrestling, though it's not often you see an example as bad as this one. Smith, proving she's one of the toughest women alive, went the "tis but a scratch!" route, and attempted to continue the fight with blood gushing out of the side of her head, but the cage-side doctor knew better, and stopped the fight, giving Eye the victory. That said, Smith earned herself a bunch of new fans by showing heart, determination, and, if you pardon the gender type, testicular fortitude. That was not lost of WWE legend Mick Foley, either. Foley, whose ear was ripped off during a match with Vader back in the day, tweeted his support to smith, including a side-by-side of their respective injuries, and some supportive words - "it gets better." Foley went on to respond to a fan who asked if Smith was his new favourite MMA fighter by saying "she is now!" For her part, Smith replied with some humour of her own, tweeting Foley "thanks for being my (non?) Ear Friend!" Smith has vowed to be back as soon as she's medically cleared.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
