MMA fighterKane Mousah showed tremendous heart to finish his lightweight bout Friday.- That's because the Brit had to compete with a cut so bad it looked like he'd been hit with an axe.
- WARNING: Don't read this story if you do not want to see the gruesome injury.
LONDON - A Bellator MMA fighter was cut so bad in the middle of a match that it looked like he'd been hit with an axe.
Hometown favorite Kane Mousah did well to continue his lightweight fight with
However, he had to do so while nursing an injury that looked like his forehead had split open so severely that you could almost see his skull underneath.
The wound horrified some media members on press row, who were watching the action cageside.
But despite the cut's severity, it never appeared to drip much blood into his eye, affecting his vision.
And so the referee allowed the fight to continue, with Gallon winning a unanimous decision with scores of 29-28 and 30-27 (x2).
Though the gruesome injury was obvious, it was only at the end, when a photographer could zoom in on the damage.
WARNING: Stop scrolling if you do not want to see the injury.
Here's one shot of the cut, followed by the close-up:
Here's the close-up:
Posting a statement on the Stories section on his official Instagram account, Mousah bemoaned the result: "It didn't go our way but I think I won the fight," he said.
"A fight is a fight. This is the thing about MMA, it's such an amazing sport and it can be scored any way. That was the fight of the night.
"You saw me in there gritty; southpaw; head kick; hurt him; split me; blood in my eyes, but never quit once. Heart of a lion."
Mousah's pro MMA record dropped to 13 wins (five knockouts, one submission, and seven decisions) against four losses, after Friday's defeat.
Gallon, from France, advanced his pro MMA record to 19 wins (four knockouts, seven submissions, and eight decisions) against seven losses with the victory.