UFC Vegas 109 featured one highlight in particular that had fans worried for a member of the roster.
Elijah Smith delivered a knockout of the year contender by slamming Toshiomi Kazama in the first round to record his second win inside the Octagon.
The violent finish unsurprisingly earned the 22-year-old a performance of the night bonus among a night of impressive displays.
After he was immediately rushed to a hospital, the UFC provided a positive update on Kazama’s status after fans feared the worst.
Karyn Bryant shared that his CT scans had come back negative and that he was expected to be discharged soon, which quickly led to a follow up statement from his team.
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Hirotaka Nakada corrects post-fight statement after Toshiomi Kazama’s scary knockout loss
Former fighter Hirotaka Nakada was in the corner of Toshiomi Kazama when he suffered one of the most devastating knockout losses of the year.
After fans were relieved to hear a positive update regarding the Japanese fighter following worrying scenes at the UFC Apex, the same can be said for his coaches.
In a post on social media, Nakada shared a photo of Kazama’s priority after he was discharged from the hospital, showing him about to get started on his post-fight burger.
His coach posted the photo on his Instagram story alongside the translated caption, “Five Guys in defeat. I’m so glad to be alive.”
When a post from Full Send MMA on X attributed the quote to Kazama himself, Nakada corrected the statement and thanked the account.
“He didn’t said tho, I’m relieved as his friend and his corner man. But, he is good for now, Thank you.”
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‘Rampage’ Jackson responds to Elijah Smith shouting him out after replicating his slam KO
From the moment that Elijah Smith connected with a huge slam knockout, many fans were reminded of an iconic finish from MMA’s past.
Smith made reference to this by shouting out a fighter who was known for producing multiple slam knockouts during his legendary career, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson.
This quickly made its way to Jackson, who gave his thoughts on the finish via an Instagram post.
Smith also showed compassion towards his opponent in his post-fight interview, saying that he’ll pray that he “makes it home safe”.