Dustin Jacoby suffered a freak injury just prior to his remarkable victory against Vitor Petrino at UFC Tampa on Saturday night.
The American fighter, who earned a $50,000 ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus, faced a daunting challenge even before he stepped into the cage.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Dustin Jacoby delivered an impressive performance at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, finishing his opponent in the third round.
However, the fact that he even made it to the octagon is remarkable, given the horrifying injury he sustained leading up to the fight.
In an interview with MMA Fighting, he detailed the extent of his injury: “Three weeks prior to the fight, I completely ripped my right big toe off my foot. I could not run, walk, train, nothing the entire week.”
He expressed his anxiety about possibly being unable to make the walk to the octagon, noting, “In over 50 pro fights between MMA and kickboxing, I’ve never not once shown up on the day that I was going to when I sign the contract.”
Naturally, many were left wondering what Jacoby meant by saying he ‘ripped’ his toe off his foot, and his explanation is certainly not for the faint-hearted.
He described the moment: “I grabbed my toe to see how bad it was, and my entire toe just came off my foot. It was like a door hinge. I freaked out, I pushed it back and I looked around and I was like ‘I have to go somewhere right now.’ Immediately at that point I’m like, I’m not fighting. My fight’s done. I have to fight in three weeks.”
Fortunately, after visiting his doctor, he learned that it was a dislocated toe, which was successfully reset back into place.
Davey Grant nearly had his toe amputated ahead of UFC Tampa
Interestingly, Jacoby was not the only fighter facing toe-related troubles that night; Saturday’s card was riddled with similar stories from MMA stars.
Like Jacoby, Davey Grant also encountered significant medical issues before his bout, fearing that he could face a toe amputation.
Despite the odds, he managed to compete and won with style, revealing the severity of his situation and the close call with his toe.
In conclusion, the incidents leading up to UFC Tampa highlight the incredible dedication and resilience of fighters like Jacoby and Grant, even when confronted with extreme pre-fight challenges.
