10 Bloodiest Fights In UFC History

Blood is an occupational hazard for fighters. They certainly aren’t squeamish around it, but it’s something that many learn to stomach. Then there’s Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral who seems like a fighter who actively revels in bloodlust.

Sobral’s taste for violence turned this otherwise unremarkable preliminary fight into one of the most talked-about MMA stories of 2007.

Following a tepid opening round, all hell broke loose in the second as ‘Babalu’ bloodied Heath’s nose with a left hand. If that wasn’t enough, Sobral followed up with wicked ground-and-pound that opened up a nasty cut on the Oklahoman’s forehead, splattering juice all over the mat.

Struggling to see through a deep red hue, Heath could do little more than cover up and survive Sobral’s wild assault. ‘Babalu’ then expertly locked up an anaconda choke and elicited a tap from Heath whose head was spewing blood from the vice-like pressure of the hold. Instead of letting go, however, Sobral held on and infamously choked Heath unconscious as the referee tried in vain to physically remove him.

This was an unedifying scene as Heath lay a bloody, motionless mess while ‘Babalu’ celebrated to a chorus of boos. In his post-fight interview, Sobral admitted purposely putting Heath to sleep to teach him a lesson for a lack of respect. He was promptly released from his UFC contract and never fought for the promotion again.