After Surviving Eight Knockdowns In The Fight At UFC Abu Dhabi, Disfigured UFC Fighter’s Health Update Revealed!

After enduring severe facial damage and multiple knockdowns, the UFC offers fans a sobering but hopeful update for the fighter!

MMA is a brutal sport where fighters put their bodies through absolute hell for the fans’ entertainment. They have seen countless wars over the years that left us wondering how these athletes can even walk away from the octagon. But every once in a while, a fight comes along that makes even the most hardcore fans cringe and question whether things went too far.

The sport has evolved tremendously in terms of safety protocols and medical oversight since the early days when fighters could literally fight until they couldn’t continue. Referees are now much more willing to step in when they see a fighter taking excessive punishment, and doctors ringside have more authority to stop fights when they spot potential injuries. However, there’s still an ongoing debate about when exactly officials should intervene to protect fighters from themselves, especially when those warriors refuse to give up despite taking serious damage.

A Record Breaking Beatdown At UFC Abu Dhabi

UFC Abu Dhabi delivered one of the most uncomfortable fights in recent memory when Steven Nguyen absolutely demolished Mohammad Yahya. This can only be described as a prolonged beatdown. Nguyen rewrote the UFC record books by dropping Yahya an incredible eight times during their featherweight bout. Six of those knockdowns were officially recorded, which shattered the previous UFC record for most knockdowns in a single fight. This was a masterclass in controlled violence that had fans and officials questioning when enough becomes too much.

Here are all 6 knockdowns that made Steven Nguyen a part of UFC history 🥊📖

Steven Nguyen drops Mohammad Yahya 6 times to set the UFC knockdown record #UFCabudabi

🎥 @ufc pic.twitter.com/PRREfA5Bmf
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 26, 2025

The most disturbing aspect wasn’t even the knockdowns themselves, but watching Yahya somehow survive two complete rounds despite being dropped repeatedly. His warrior spirit kept him getting back up, but his left eye told a different story entirely. By the end of the second round, Yahya’s eye had swollen completely shut with a massive hematoma forming around the orbital area.

Mohammad Yahya's eye looked disgusting.#UFCAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/YQhVwRPbki
— Vipul 🇮🇳 (@Vipul_Espeaks) July 26, 2025

Referee Jason Herzog faced serious criticism for allowing the fight to continue as long as it did. Many fans felt the bout should have been stopped much earlier to prevent further unnecessary damage to Yahya. The fighter’s corner also came under fire for not throwing in the towel when it became clear their man was taking excessive punishment. Eventually, the ringside physician made the call between rounds, stopping the contest due to Yahya’s completely closed eye.

Positive Health News For Mohammad Yahya

The good news came several hours after the fight when UFC officials provided a much needed health update during the broadcast. Commentator John Gooden announced that Yahya’s CT scans had come back completely clean. He had no facial fractures detected despite the horrific appearance of his injuries.

UFC say that Mohammed Yahya has NO facial fractures after his fight at #UFCAbuDhabi.

His fight was stopped after the 2nd round by the referee/doctor. He had been knocked down a record 6 times in the fight (it was 7 but stats, lol) pic.twitter.com/KWIJFVJxys
— ' DMF🇵🇹 (@DMFv2) July 26, 2025

Dana White even shared photos on social media showing the extent of Yahya’s facial damage. And honestly, it was pretty hard to look at. The swelling around his eye was absolutely massive, making him nearly unrecognizable from his pre fight appearance. The human body can handle incredible amounts of punishment, and thankfully Yahya’s injuries were primarily superficial rather than structural.

Mohammad Yahya

Steven Nguyen

UFC Abu Dhabi

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!