There’s a number of reasons I don’t participate in mixed martial arts. Elbows to the face. Brain trauma. Thunderous accidental kicks to the groin. And now I officially add the possibility of breaking your leg in half off a checked kick to the list. Not only do you have to worry about your opponent hitting you, hitting them can also result in horrific injury.
That’s what happened this past weekend at M-1 Global Challenge 61 in Russia. In the main event, Ante Delija faced off against Marcin Tybura and was doing well until he threw a huge leg kick which Tybura checked. That means he lifted his leg off the ground so it absorbs less damage. It also positioned his kneecap in just the right place to catch Delija’s tibia and shatter it.
Delija didn’t even realize what had happened until he tried to put weight on his leg and had it fold in half under him. Tybura didn’t waste any time going in for the kill but stopped as soon as he realized something had gone horribly wrong, and even tried to help Delija once the extent of his injury was clear. It was an intense ending to a main event, and just the kind of thing that happens in mixed martial arts sometimes. So if you plan on getting into the sport, take that into consideration. And drink your milk.