Martin was preparing to fight in the second round despite his eye bulging out of its socket…yikes.
Mark Martin was waiting for his fight against Dilano Taylor at PFL Challenger Series 2 on Friday to resume when the referee noticed a severe eye injury.
Martin and Taylor were competing for a contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) that would be either a development deal or a spot on the 2022 roster. Both fighters were off to a great start in the first round, with ’Showtime’ mixing things up and ‘The Postman’ starting to connect with stiff right hands.
The damage from those shots was visible as Martin began to swell around his left eye, which was nothing out of the ordinary when getting punched repeatedly in the face. However, it became clear that there was more than just some swelling going on. Before the second round was set to begin, the referee took one look at Martin and requested the cageside physician.
It was until Martin turned his head in the direction of the camera that we saw his left eye literally bulging out of its socket. The fight was stopped immediately, and he was taken out of the cage and transported to a local hospital. Taylor was awarded a first-round technical knockout via doctor stoppage. You can see the eye injury below, courtesy of the PFL Twitter account.
Warning: Video and photo below are graphic. Please proceed with caution.
The cageside doctor waves off the fight inbetween rounds. Dilano Taylor gets the W!#PFLonFuboTV LIVE NOW
https://t.co/R67yD8VVFQ
https://t.co/StPf5kcxnW pic.twitter.com/eKZ6bmEoFS— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 26, 2022
Hoping for a speedy recovery for @ShowtimeMartin1! #PFLonFuboTV pic.twitter.com/XcVmXfdae8
— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 26, 2022
Nolan King of MMA Junkie has provided an update on the condition of Martin from his manager, AJ Ariosa. According to Ariosa, the injury happened after the fighter blew his nose, pushing the eye out of the socket.
The 28-year-old hopeful was on a four-fight win streak with wins under the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) and Combate Global banners. He now drops to 7-2 as a professional.
Though Taylor earned a stoppage win, he did not receive a contract. This past December, the Titan FC welterweight champion was in action against Marcus Edwards, who he defeated via split decision to successfully defend his championship.