Rafael dos Anjos’ ear almost fell off during UFC 225 defeat to Colby Covington

Hopefully this is the last time that Rafael dos Anjos encounters this gruesome issue.

Dos Anjos fell considerably short in his attempt to join the exclusive club of fighters who have claimed titles in different UFC weight divisions after coming out on the wrong end of a unanimous decision when he met Colby Covington for the interim welterweight title at UFC 225. Relentless pressure from the outspoken American put dos Anjos on the back foot from the outset and the Brazilian struggled to muster the energy to overturn the deficit. The former UFC lightweight champion was also struggling with a serious injury from the early stages of the UFC 225 co-main event as blood began streaming from dos Anjos' ear after one of the several grappling exchanges with Covington. The commentary team initially speculated that his cauliflower ear had burst but it has now emerged that dos Anjos' ear was almost ripped clean from his head. Dos Anjos received stitches after the bout in Chicago but he has since decided to undergo plastic surgery in the hope that the issue will not rear its head again because it's not the first time that the 33-year-old has endured problems with his ear. MMA Fighting report that dos Anjos has required stitches no less than five times since a sparring session with then-UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping last October. Dos Anjos will have his stitches removed in two weeks and will be able to return to sparring in six weeks.