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Alexandre Pantoja’s fifth flyweight title defense was a prime example of the unpredictability of MMA.

Despite what many believed the issue was, it has been reported that Pantoja suffered a shoulder injury in the co-main event of UFC 323.

His fight with Joshua Van was waved off just 26 seconds into the first round after it became immediately clear that the defending champion was compromised.

While Dominick Cruz believes that the referee stepped in too early, these kinds of freak accidents are always a possibility, even at the highest level of competition.

That being said, there are only two UFC title fights that have ended in the same abrupt and disappointing manner.

• **LATEST NEWS: **Sean O’Malley thinks he’s in line for the ‘biggest bantamweight fight in history’ after UFC 323

Should fights like this be a no-contest?

Alexandre Pantoja lost his flyweight title due to an arm injury just 26 seconds into his fight with Joshua Van at UFC 323.

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Anderson Silva was involved in two UFC title fights that ended abruptly due to injuries

Joe Rogan showed immediate concern for Alexandre Pantoja after the flyweight champion’s shocking injury ended his title defense before 30 seconds had passed.

While we recently saw Tom Aspinall’s fight with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 end due to eye pokes, UFC 323 was a different scenario.

A title fight being immediately ended due to an unfortunate circumstance that wasn’t an eye-related injury (pokes, cuts, swelling) has only happened two previous times.

Both of these instances that share a resemblance to what happened in the co-main event on December 6 involve the legendary former UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva.

What’s the worst injury you’ve seen in a UFC fight?

Let us know in the comments which injury inside the Octagon was the hardest to watch.

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At UFC 90 in 2008, ‘The Spider’ looked to make his fourth title defense when facing off with Patrick Cote.

The fight, which was already not living up to expectations due to Silva’s reserved approach, ended in the third round after Cote landed awkwardly after throwing a kick, collapsing to the canvas after an injury to his right knee.

Five years later, once Silva’s iconic reign had already ended, the Brazilian’s attempt to reclaim the belt in a rematch with Chris Weidman resulted in one of the most memorable and gruesome injuries of all time.

A checked kick from Weidman resulted in a horrific leg break, with Silva’s return ending with questions regarding whether he’d be able to make a full recovery and reclaim his spot at the top.

• LATEST NEWS: Dana White responds after being publicly called out by Tom Aspinall for his reaction to the eye poke

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Alexandre Pantoja can draw inspiration from fighters who have achieved incredible things after significant setbacks

Anderson Silva was never able to reclaim the middleweight title after the leg injury that he suffered in his rematch with Chris Weidman at UFC 168.

However, there are plenty of other examples that Alexandre Pantoja can look to when searching for inspiration during his road to recovery.

Dominick Cruz may be the best example of this, having had his career significantly impacted by various injuries despite him being able to come back and win the bantamweight title after being forced to vacate it.

Michael Bisping defied the odds to become UFC middleweight champion despite his significant vision issues.

There’s even an example among current champions, with heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall questioning his future in the sport after a devastating leg injury only to return and become a champion.