Have you ever seen an MMA fighters ears? Some people think it’s weird, while others think it’s gross. But it begs to ask – why do MMA fighters have cauliflower ears?
In this blog post I’ll describe how MMA fighters get cauliflower ears, and answer the many questions people have about them.
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Why do MMA fighters have cauliflower ears?
Firstly, it’s called cauliflower ears because the ears look like a cauliflower. The cauliflower ears are caused by repeated trauma to the ears.
The trauma is caused by a fighter getting hit with punches, kicks, knees, elbows, and slaps to the ears.
So what happens is the ear get hit repeatedly over time and build up blood and fluid. This blood clot causes the ear tissue to become hard and the ear eventually shrivels up.
Can you prevent cauliflower ears?
Yes, you can prevent cauliflower ears by wearing the proper head gear when training. And also learn how to defend your head properly in a real fight. Whether you’re standing up or on the ground.
The issue with some people in training is that after a while they get tired of wearing the head gear. Another reason why some don’t wear it because they think they look cooler without it on.
My advice is to wear the head gear at all time. It can not only protect you from getting cauliflower ears, but protect you from any accident that may occur during training.
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Does cauliflower ears hurt?
Yes, cauliflower ears do hurt in the beginning, as the ears begin to callus. Keep in mind that your ear is damaged and as the tissue weakens and blood and fluid builds up it is going to hurt.
Fighters also mention it hurts when they sleep on either one of their ear. Now this may be only in the beginning because there is no mention of the pain through out their career.
Can cauliflower ear cause loss of hearing?
The National Library of Medicine did a case control study with wrestlers who had cauliflower ears. They concluded that people with cauliflower ears were more likely to get loss of hearing than someone who didn’t have cauliflower ears.
So based on the study you can get loss of hearing if you have cauliflower ears and you don’t seek treatment for it.
I haven’t heard a fighter mention they have loss of hearing from their cauliflower ears, but then again a lot of fighters are quiet about their issues. And to be honest they have every right to be, it’s none of our business.
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Can a cauliflower ear explode?
Yes, a cauliflower ear can explode. I’ve seen it twice in the gym and it sure is messy. In both separate occasions we didn’t try to treat the men ourselves. We droved them to the hospital to get professional medical help.
The most recognized moment when the world saw a cauliflower ear explode was the UFC match between Jessica Eye and Leslie Smith. Leslie took a right hand to right side of her head and her cauliflower ear exploded.
The callus on her left cauliflower ear fell off and blood starting spewing everywhere. It was a grewsome scene to watch. All members of the audience was shocked.
Can cauliflower ears get infected?
Yes, cauliflower ears can get infected in the earlobe. Poor blood circulation to the ear may cause infection in some people, and even slow down the process of the ears healing.
Also keep in mind that the ear is now damaged and has folded inward. That’ means you have no way of cleaning the inside of the ear, and if you have no way of cleaning it bacteria may form.
That goes for any part of our body. We have to clean it or bacteria will grow and it will become infected.
Does cauliflower ears go away?
No, cauliflower ear will not go away on it’s own. If you have cauliflower ear your ear has been damaged and the look won’t go away.
In some cases the only way to reverse cauliflower ear is to have corrective surgery. Keep in mind that this does not work for everyone. Please consult your physician before considering surgery.
The best way to avoid getting cauliflower ears is to wear the proper head gear when training.
10 MMA fighters with the worst cauliflower ears
- BJ Penn
- Frankie Edgar
- James Thompson
- Alexander Gustafsson
- Rany Couture
- Leslie Smith
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueria
- Rafael Dos Anjos
- Kazushi Sakuraba
Do all MMA fighters have cauliflower ears?
You’d be surprised to know that not all MMA fighters have cauliflower ears. In fact, most MMA fights don’t have cauliflower ears.
Many people think that because fighters go through tough training and they take a lot of strikes to the head, that they all have cauliflower ears. This is the furthest thing from the truth.
Although mishaps can happen during training and in a real fight, the majority of MMA fighters know how to protect themselves, thus avoiding the cauliflower ear.
10 MMA fighters that don’t have cauliflower ears
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Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former middleweight champion who is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 2006-2020.
Anderson Silva is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days.
Silva is a master at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and this black belt has never really been hit in the face or head during his whole career.
If you watch matches of him on Youtube Silva is skilled at ducking, bobbing and weaving around and away from his opponents strikes.
Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou is a professional mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division.
He is best known for his knockout victory over former champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 260, which made him the first African-born fighter to win a title in the UFC.
Although Francis Ngannou has only been an MMA fighter for a few years, he’s now known as a mega star across the world.
It’s clear to see that any fighter that faces Ngannou can’t really hit him. His 6’3 and 262 frame of all muscle is intimidating. His knock out power makes fighter hesitant to get close to him.
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Robert Whittaker
Robert Whittaker is an Australian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In 2017 he became the UFC interim middleweight champion by outpointing Yoel Romero. Whittaker is known for having a strong stand up brawl game, but hasn’t taken much damage to his ears.
Stephen Thompson
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is an MMA fighter who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Hew has 16 wind and 6 losses in the UFC and although he was a big prospect in his division, he has never won a championship title.
Because of his dominate karate style fighters have not really got a chance to punch him in the side of his head much.
This preserves his ears and is why he doesn’t have the cauliflower ears. That and he wears head gear during training.
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Robbie Lawler
Robbie Lawler is an MMA fighter who is under contract with the UFC. His last bout was in 2021 when he won a TKO victory over Nick Diaz.
He was not only the UFC Welterweight champion but also the former EliteXC Middleweight Champion. Like the others on the list he has no cauliflower ears.
Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya is an undefeated Nigerian fighter who is currently signed to the UFC. He debut in the UFC in 2018 and since then has fought all the elite fighters in his middleweight division.
Nick named “The Last Stylebender” he is known for his slick, smooth, and highly skilled Muay Thai stand up game.
That’s why it’s so hard to inflict damage onto him, his strikes make it hard for you to get close.
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Andre Arlovski
Andre “The Giant” Arlovski is currently signed to the UFC. He competes in the Heavyweight division as a 43 year old.
He is the former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is one of the most iconic and popular fighters in UFC history.
Andrew holds the record for most bouts as well as wins in UFC heavyweight history.
Anthony Johnson
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is an MMA fighter in Bellator. He was a former light heavyweight contender in the UFC.
He was mostly feared for his one punch knockout power. Anthony is a great fighter so it’s easy to see that his ears has to blemishes on them.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is a Polish mixed martial artist who competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
She is a former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion and free of cauliflower ears.
Weili Zhang
Weili Zhang is a mixed martial arts fighter currently fighting in the UFC. She is an incredible talent and is the former UFC Strawweight champion.
Weili Zhang has been praised for being the first ever Chinese champion in UFC history. Although she lost her belt to Rose Namajunas, she is preparing hard for the rematch to regain the Strawweight belt.
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“The Black Belt Blue Print” is a must have for true students of jiu jitsu. Concise, yet comprehensive, it’s the guidebook I secretly yearned for when I began training. With wisdom and experience on every page, this book will enhance your journey in the gentle art.” Roy Dean – BJJ Black Belt
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