Mark Hominick got busted up by Jose Aldo. | Photo: Al Bello/Zuffa/UFC/Getty
4. Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick
UFC 129 “St. Pierre vs. Shields”
April 30, 2011 | Toronto
The word “hematoma” holds a special meaning in the hearts of combat sports fans, as it usually means a fighter has taken an extraordinary shot to the head.
That was the case at UFC 129, as featherweight champion Aldo’s assault on the forehead of Hominick resulted in a picture that is not easily forgotten. As sick as the injury looked, a hematoma -- which is a bruise or collection of blood underneath the skin -- that does not significantly affect an athlete’s vision is not dangerous. This is the judgment at which the ringside physician and referee “Big” John McCarthy arrived, as “The Machine” pressed on for 25 minutes en route to a unanimous decision loss. Hominick went on to lose three more fights, all in succession, before retiring in 2012.
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