UFC fighter Belal Muhammad suffered horrific injuries in his welterweight title loss to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on Saturday.
UFC President Dana White shared graphic images of Muhammad's injuries on his Instagram Stories, revealing the brutal aftermath of the 25-minute battle.
The images showed Muhammad's upper lip split open, a sight White described as a "WAR!!!"
The gruesome injury drew comparisons to similar wounds suffered by Robbie Lawler and Alistair Overeem in previous UFC bouts.
Belal Muhammad suffered defeat at the hands of Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315
Reuters
Muhammad and Della Maddalena fought "tooth-and-nail" throughout their championship contest, with the damage becoming "distressingly in focus" after the final bell.
White revealed the full extent of Muhammad's injuries in his social media post on Sunday.
According to the UFC President, Muhammad suffered a broken nose and broken orbital bone in addition to the split upper lip.
The fighter also had a visible gash under his left eye following the brutal contest.
The damage was so severe that White felt compelled to share the graphic images with fans, showing the physical toll of the championship bout.
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Muhammad's split lip was particularly disturbing, with Fox News describing how the fighter was "peeling apart the two sides of his lip" after Della Maddalena split it in two.
The unanimous decision victory for Della Maddalena ended Muhammad's 287-day reign as welterweight champion.
The judges scored the closely contested fight 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 in favor of the new champion.
WARNING: GRAPHIC PICTURES BELOW
Dana White took to Instagram to show Belal Muhammad's gruesome injuries
"He brings the pressure, you know, I knew I had to be smart," Della Maddalena said after securing the title.
The defeat marked Muhammad's first loss since January 2019, when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Geoff Neal.
Muhammad had been undefeated for over six years, with his only blemish being a no-contest against Leon Edwards in March 2021.
Despite the exceedingly close nature of the bout, Della Maddalena emerged victorious in what many considered a fight with several "coin flip" rounds.
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Jack Della Maddalena handed Belal Muhammad his first loss since 2019
Reuters
Despite the devastating loss and injuries, Muhammad maintained a positive outlook.
"Allah's plan is the best plan," Muhammad wrote on X. "Alhamdillah for everything. Thank you to all my supporters. I been here before and I'll be back."
His vow to return suggests the fighter is already looking toward recovery and a potential comeback.
Following Della Maddalena's championship victory, several fighters could be in line for a title shot.
