7. Leslie Smith vs. Jessica Eye
In the battle of Smith vs. Eye, it was an ear, not an eye, that became collateral damage.
Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith and Jessica “Evil” Eye went toe-to-toe at UFC 180 in Mexico City, Mexico in 2014. There, Smith would have her cauliflower ear rupture care of an Eye punch. Eye would continue targeting the ear throughout the fight, and eventually, it began to separate from Smith’s head.
While Smith would contest the stoppage, a doctor waved off the fight 90 seconds into the second round, and for good reason. Smith would fight four more times for the UFC, going 3-1, then saw her career with the promotion come to a controversial end at UFC Atlantic City in 2018, after opponent Aspen Ladd missed weight. At the time, Smith was involved in a project to classify UFC fighters as employees, rather than independent contractors.
Smith, like Mitrione, would later join Bellator MMA, and recently fought for the featherweight title against Cris Cyborg. She still has her ear, thankfully.
James Thompson’s cauliflower ear exploding against Kimbo Slice gets honorable mention here, but since it happened in 2008, it’s outside the time frame of this list.
