UFC Star Harry Hardwick Left Disfigured After Brutal Fight as Ambulance Video Shared
UFC fighter Harry Hardwick was forced to concede his bout against Marwan Rahiki after the second round this weekend, suffering a severe broken jaw that left him temporarily disfigured. Horrifying footage from the aftermath has since emerged, highlighting the brutal nature of the contest at UFC Vegas in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Devastating Defeat for Middlesbrough Fighter
The Middlesbrough-born athlete, known as 'Houdini', has struggled to secure a victory since transitioning from Cage Warriors to the UFC. His debut loss to Kaue Fernandes in September ended in the first round due to a series of calf kicks. Hardwick, aged 31, had hoped for a better performance against Rahiki, but instead faced a crushing defeat.
Starting strongly, Hardwick traded intense blows with the Moroccan fighter in the opening round. However, early in the second round, Rahiki landed a powerful straight-hook combination that left Hardwick unsteady. Rahiki, nicknamed 'Freaky', pursued Hardwick to the cage, unleashing a barrage of head and body shots as Hardwick attempted to evade.
Despite landing a hard overhand right to create some space, the damage was already severe. Hardwick's mouth was visibly agape after sustaining the broken jaw from the initial combination, which triggered the onslaught. Showing immense courage, he fought through to the end of the round but was prevented from continuing.
Sportsmanship and Stoppage
Hardwick informed his cornerman, "My jaw is 100 per cent broken," adding, "My jaw's f***ed." Officials intervened, stating, "Yeah, we're going to stop that," with the cutman advising, "That's smart Harry, I didn't want to see you get hurt." In a display of sportsmanship, Hardwick approached Rahiki in the Octagon to explain the stoppage, pointing to his injured jaw.
Rahiki responded empathetically, saying, "F*** man, I'm so sorry," as the two shared a brief embrace. Following the loss, Hardwick took to TikTok to update fans from the ambulance en route to the hospital.
Graphic Ambulance Update
In the video, Hardwick remarked, "Right, I just thought I would give everyone an update while I can still talk, before the swelling gets a bit worse. It's a good job I like soup, and it's a good job I like milkshakes." He acknowledged the disappointing outcome but expressed gratitude for his life, mentioning his partner, home, support network, and family.
Hardwick captioned the clip, "Love you all, also people can say what they want on the internet. No need to get into an argument on the internet in my defence it's all good. I'm still grateful and I'm still blessed." He added, "I'm good, no one needs to cry for me, I chose to do this sport. If you want to do anything, get on Twitter and start saying I deserve a bonus. That would be mint! Mortgages are expensive."
Reflecting on his passion, he said, "But on a level, I love you all. I love the sport - I put everything I could into this. Maybe not the best I've felt on fight day but that's never a good indicator really of how you're fighting, or how the fight goes."
UFC Vegas Event Highlights
In other matches at the fight night, Kevin Vallejos secured a first-round knockout against Josh Emmett in the main event, while Gillian Robertson earned a unanimous decision victory over Amanda Lemos in the co-main event. The evening showcased both thrilling performances and the harsh realities of combat sports.
