BRIT Harry Hardwick was rushed to the hospital with a broken jaw after his second UFC outing.
The Middlesbrough mauler locked horns with Marwan Rahiki on the UFC Vegas 114 main card early on Sunday morning.
The pair went to war for two hard rounds, the second of which Hardwick was lucky to survive.
The former Cage Warriors featherweight champion was rocked by a huge left hand from the Moroccan just with just over three minutes of the round remaining.
Hardwick ate several hard follow-up shots but somehow managed to stay on his feet and survive the hellfire.
But his mandible was left in tatters by the hammer of a left hook, a fact he realised after the round ended.
During the intermission, he told his corner: “My jaw is broken.”
His team verbally threw in the towel, an act which condemned the 31-year-old to his second straight octagon defeat.
After being seen to by the UFC’s medical staff, Hardwick was transported to the hospital.
And despite potentially being on the brink of being released from MMA‘s top promotion, Hardwick was in good spirits in the back of the ambulance.
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He said: “Everybody, I am ok. My jaw is obviously fu**ed, but that’s alright.
“I like soup. I like smoothies, I like milkshakes, and I like energy drinks.
“So all these things I can still have. Life is good. I cannot complain about my position.
“I have an amazing, beautiful girlfriend, a good house, and a good family.
“No one needs to cry for me. I am ok.”
Hardwick’s pain will be somewhat softened by the fact that he won the coveted ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.
That means he’ll take home an extra £75,000 ($100,000) in addition to his show money.
