The reason why UFC fighters get cauliflower ears & what it actually is (2024)

Most fans of any fighting sport are probably aware of the rather common issue of cauliflower ear. Whether it be boxing, UFC, or even non-fighting sports like rugby, cauliflower ear is something that occurs with athletes and can have pretty serious long-term affects.

Let's take a more detailed look into what cauliflower ear actually is, what causes it, and how it can be dealt with.

What is Cauliflower Ear

Cauliflower ear is the more commonly used term for what is officially known as a perichondrial hematoma. It is an irreversible condition that occurs when the outer areas of the ear are repeatedly hit or blown, leading to blood clots or buildups of other fluids in the perichondrium.

The cartilage surrounding the bones of the ear becomes separated and essentially dies from lack of nutrients, causing swelling and deformities resembling a cauliflower. It is an injury that goes back a long time and is extremely common in the UFC in particular.

What Causes Cauliflower Ear

The biggest cause of cauliflower ear is blunt trauma and repeated heavy blows to the surrounding areas of the ear, leading to a hematoma, or blood cot, which then in time will lead to the formation of a cauliflower ear.

This is obviously extremely common in fighting sports, especially UFC and any form of mixed martial arts. The relentless damage and strikes that fighters have to deal with to their ear area is unavoidable in many circ*mstances, which is why we see so many cases of cauliflower ear.

Outside of hitting and striking the ear area, research suggests that friction is another leading cause of cauliflower ear. In the UFC as an example, fighters can spend a lot of time pressed up against the mat with their ears being compressed and rubbed against the hard floor. This again leads to the build up of hematomas and the eventual diagnosis of cauliflower ear.

How to Prevent Cauliflower Ear

When you are taking part in any fighting sport, especially any form of mixed martial arts, like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or wrestling, the formation of cauliflower ear is pretty difficult to prevent. The relentless strain these fighters put their ears through on a near daily basis means that in many cases it is inevitable that some form of hematoma will eventually occur.

Outside of simply trying to avoid being hit in the ear area, which is of course very difficult for any fighter, protective headgear is the only other main way to try and prevent cauliflower ear. The main obvious issue in the UFC, is that fighters do not wear headgear when battling it out in the Octagon, with many of them also not wearing headgear when they train. This means that the fighters rely on pretty basic methods of prevention, like icing the ear after fights, which can help slow down any build up of cauliflower ear, but in the long term will do very little to stop it taking place.

Treatment for Cauliflower Ear

When it comes to treating cauliflower ear, it really depends on the severity of the damage, and therefore differs massively for each individual fighter. You can get fighters who avoid major damage throughout their career and are just left with mild symptoms, mainly those who spend a lot of their time winning fights. In these cases, home treatment like icing may be enough to ease any pain or visual effects and help reduce the blockage of blood flow into the ear.

However, those with more serious cases of cauliflower ear will need professional help from doctors, with a common treatment being injections to drain any blood or fluid from the ear. This can help massively with any pain and prevent further bleeding, but does not do a lot to help the visual aspect of the injury.

As mentioned previously, cauliflower ear is permanent and can never be 100% reversed. In extreme cases, there is surgery that can be done where cartilage is removed and replaced to try and make the ear shape more natural looking, but this will never bring the ears back to their true original form.

Worst Examples of Cauliflower Ear

The list of UFC fighters who have suffered cauliflower ear or injuries similar to it is a very long list to say the least, but there are certain athletes that have unfortunately suffered worse cases than most. There are some pretty infamous examples, with fans likely to remember some of the more bloody ones.

The first one that will come to mind for long-time fans of the UFC is Lesley Smith, who had her ear completely explode during a fight against Jessica Eye. Her entire ear exploded open after a huge blow that caused huge amounts of blood in what was a really gruesome injury.

Sadly, there are many examples similar to that of Lesley Smith, with some more notable names, including Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov also notoriously suffering major cauliflower ear injuries.

Adding to those names, fighters like BJ Penn, Randy Couture, and James Thompson are all ex-fighters who to this day show the long-term effects of their fighting days, with major deformities to their ear area. In some way, the formation of a cauliflower ear is a sign of how dedicated a fighter is to their craft, and the fact they are willing to truly put their entire bodies on the line in order to be victorious.

Cauliflower ear is a serious issue in the world of combat sports, and unfortunately seems like something that will never be able to be properly prevented or treated. It has become a necessary consequence of being part of the fighting world, with hopes that perhaps over time there will be new discussions made around how to better prevent or treat this serious injury.