With the highly anticipated UFC 304 just around the corner, the fans can’t keep calm! One of the most anticipated fights is the middleweight clash between Gregory Rodrigues and Christian Leroy Duncan. ‘Robocop’ needs no introduction, along with being one of the consistent performers in the division, he not only has the ground game but also can knock people out, which is very evident from his record.

The 32-year-old Brazilian is coming off two big victories from his last outings and is high on confidence. As he prepares for his fight, we take a look at the injury Rodrigues suffered during his fight against Chidi Njokuani in the main event of UFC Vegas 60.

What happened to Gregory Rodrigues? UFC middleweight’s gruesome cut explained.

Chidi Njokuani vs. Gregory Rodrigues was without a doubt one of the most brutal fights in the UFC. The pair clashed against each other in 2022, which marked the return of Rodrigues. ‘Robocop’ started the fight on the back foot as a brutal knee from Njokuani busted open his skull. The Brazilian suffered a massive cut between his eyes and bled profusely. Most of the fans felt that the fight would be called off as the cut was very massive. However, the 32-year-old kept his composure and stayed in the fight. Between the first and the second round, the cutman worked frantically to keep ‘Robocop’ in the fight. But it was very evident that if the bleeding worsened, it would be the end of the clash.

What followed was something quite extraordinary as Rodrigues pulled off the comeback of the year. ‘Robocop’ capitalized on the sloppy mistakes made by Njokuani in the second round and knocked him out! The 32-year-old later went on to accept that he indeed was in a lot of trouble because of the knee, but managed to keep his composure. ‘Robocop’ left the Octagon with a memorable scar and his head held high.

UFC CEO Dana White later went on to share the images of the injury on his social media with a caption, “Insane Cut but healed great”. Thankfully, the consequences weren’t as serious as the fans thought, and he healed perfectly. But what exactly did the 32-year-old feel during the injury? Let us find out.

Rodrigues shares insight about his gruesome injury

Gregory Rodrigues can consider himself one of the luckiest fighters in the UFC. After nearly cutting open his forehead, ‘Robocop’ managed to win the fight. However, the experience of suffering the cut was not a pleasant one. Rodrigues, while speaking to MMA Junkie, shared how his corner helped him come out of the situation. While he did agree to be in trouble after the knee, his team gave instructions, which helped him calm down and win the fight. He said, “I was dizzy, it was very hard,” 

He further added, “I fell, I was a little like, ‘Man, what happened?’ And then the blood started to come down and I was kind of blind, trying to figure out what I’m going to do. But, like I said, I want to say thank you to my corner, my trainers. They did an amazing job. They started talking with me, and I was like, ‘No, no, no. Let me calm down.’ And I started hearing, ‘Move the legs!’ And stuff like that. And then I tried and then I [went] back, then I thought, ‘Man, I need to start something.”

The Brazilian since then has featured in three fights and managed to win two out of them. His victory against Njokuani proves the fact that the middleweight fighter is a tough individual and can win under any circumstance.

It seems that he has recovered from the injury completely and is now up for his next challenge. Will he be able to keep his winning momentum going at UFC 304? Let us know in the comments below.