Upcoming knee surgery sidelines Bellator middleweight Jared Hess up to six months

Jared Hess will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery next week for a gruesome knee injury he suffered in the second round of Bellator’s season-two middleweight tournament, the promotion announced Friday.

Hess, 26, sustained a third-degree tear of his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in the first frame of his fight with Alexander Shlemenko, which took this past Thursday at Bellator 20.

Video and pictures of the injury quickly made the Internet rounds and showed Hess’ leg folded awkwardly after a grappling exchange with the Russian fighter in the third round. The bout was halted soon after.


Jared Hess will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery next week for a gruesome knee injury he suffered in the second round of Bellator’s season-two middleweight tournament, the promotion announced Friday.

Hess, 26, sustained a third-degree tear of his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in the first frame of his fight with Alexander Shlemenko, which took this past Thursday at Bellator 20.

Video and pictures of the injury quickly made the Internet rounds and showed Hess’ leg folded awkwardly after a grappling exchange with the Russian fighter in the third round. The bout was halted soon after.