UFC Vegas 60 was one of the bloodiest main cards in recent memory, with gruesome facial injuries marking both main events. First up was Gregory Rodrigues, who sustained a vicious cut right between the eyes in the first round before finishing Chidi Njokuani with some brutal ground-and-pound in the second round. Rodrigues discussed the “three eyebrows” injury at the post-fight press conference and how he dug deep to secure victory.
“I [have] three eyebrows. The cut was bad, but the win came and that’s worth it. I’m so happy. I expected a fight like that. We are inside the UFC. That’s the World Cup. The best fighters are here, and I’m one of them. So I’m just happy and grateful for everything that’s happened now in my life.
Gregory Rodrigues on Gruesome “Three Eyebrows” Injury
My wife is just a little mad, ‘Tell the doctor to do a great job. I will come back there.’ But he did a great job, man, so I will look OK.”
Rodrigues admitted that the vicious knee that caused the injury left him dazed, but gave him the motivation to get back out there and secure the victory.
“I was dizzy, it was very hard. I fell, I was a little like, ‘Man, what happened?’ 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 … ‘Move the legs!’ and stuff like that. Then I tried and then I [went] back, then I thought, ‘I need to start something, I need to start to throw my bombs, throw my hands to stop him a little bit,’ because after that cut, everybody is going to be confident, try to finish the fight. Then I started to throw my hands to show him I was there, I’m still there, and that’s what happened.
When I finished the first round and came back to my corner, I was worried about the cut. My corner was like, ‘Let’s move, let’s start touching him. He already felt your hands.’ Then when it started the second round, he started to do the same, tried to pressure me, but I said, ‘I need to pressure him more.’
And one part of the fight, I felt he was tired. I felt his breath and it was different, and I said, ‘Oh man, I’m here. I’m the Robocop and I’m going to kill you,’ and I started to feel him. So when I grabbed him against the cage for the clinch, I felt his body was a little weak, so I took him down and said, ‘I’m going to finish the fight.’ And I did.
It was a big war. I love that fight. I need to watch that again, and it’s going to teach me a lot of stuff.”
