Joe Rogan, a veteran martial arts commentator and popular podcaster, has officially declared the `most gruesome injury` he`s ever witnessed throughout his extensive career in combat sports.
With an impressive tenure spanning since 1997, Rogan has served as a commentator and interviewer for the UFC, accumulating 27 years of unparalleled experience within the Mixed Martial Arts world. During this time, he has observed countless knockouts, submissions, and numerous other shocking incidents.
However, the particular injury that stands out as the most severe in his memory occurred at a Bellator event held in July 2016.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page Broke an Opponent’s Skull
At Bellator 158, British fighter Michael `Venom` Page delivered a devastating knockout blow that resulted in a fractured skull for MMA veteran Evangelista `Cyborg` Santos. The sight was truly sickening.
Initially unaware of the immense damage he had inflicted, `MVP` famously celebrated his victory by tossing a Pokémon ball towards Santos, who was agonizing on the canvas after being caught by a perfectly executed flying knee. This brutal knockout effectively ended Santos` fighting career, leaving him with a visibly caved-in forehead.
A widely circulated image of Santos` skull vividly illustrates the catastrophic damage caused by that single knee strike from the English martial artist.
“That’s the most gruesome injury I’ve ever seen,” Joe Rogan stated when Page recently appeared on his podcast. “I’ve seen a lot of broken bones, but I’ve never seen someone with a caved-in head.”
The top middleweight contender, Page, further explained that even medical professionals were perplexed by the injury, as it was unlike anything they had ever encountered in the context of an MMA fight.
“The doctors were saying that they’ve only ever seen that in a car accident, never in MMA,” Page added.
Rogan continued to reflect on the severity of the incident: “That is so crazy. And that was his last fight. And I know after the fight, he was like, ‘We’re going to fight again.’ The doctor’s like, ‘Hey, that’s a rap.’ It sounds like a baseball bat on a pumpkin… That was a bad one.”
Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s Impressive UFC Run
Michael Page concluded his tenure with Bellator when he officially signed with the UFC in 2024, embarking on a new chapter in his career.
Since joining the premier mixed martial arts promotion, the 38-year-old kickboxer has compiled an impressive 3-1 record inside the Octagon against formidable, high-caliber opponents.
Page made a successful UFC debut at welterweight, where he comfortably outpointed Kevin Holland over three rounds. His next challenge resulted in a decision loss to Ian Garry at UFC 303 in June 2024, a bout where Garry strategically employed a dominant wrestling approach to secure the victory.
Subsequently, `MVP` moved up to the middleweight division for his next fight, making history by becoming the first man to defeat Shara Magomedov. In his most recent outing at UFC 319 in August, Page overcame a `silly` mistake to secure a hard-fought win over veteran middleweight Jared Cannonier.
It remains uncertain whether Page will return to the cage before the end of 2025. Only time will reveal `MVP`s` next opponent and whether he will continue competing in the middleweight division or make a strategic return to the welterweight division.
