Jared Gordon did not have a successful trip to San Antonio, Texas, over the weekend.
Gordon, who lost by third-round TKO to Rafa Garcia on the main card of Noche UFC, said in a social media post that he was hit by a car after weigh-ins Friday. His knee hyperextended and he injured his MCL in the collision.
When he stepped into the octagon Saturday, Gordon was wearing a knee sleeve—a rare sight for him in competition. Belal Muhammad first revealed Gordon’s injury in a post on X Saturday night following his loss, and Gordon provided more details on Monday about what had occurred.
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 11: Jared Gordon reacts against Mark Madsen of Denmark in a lightweight fight during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Jared Gordon Details Being Hit By Car
“This past fight week was weird,” Gordon wrote Monday on X. “Two hours after weigh ins I was standing in the street while a car was backing out behind me, I was looking down the street away from the car. The driver was looking the other way as someone is helping him back out, waving him on, the front end of the car started turning, and the right wheel ran my right foot over as the bumper started turning and buckled my knee inward spraining my MCL. I thought about pulling out, but decided not to. Was it the wrong decision? Maybe so. After a hard good camp I didn’t wanna pull out. It is what it is. I’ll move forward. Sorry to all my fans for the performance.”
Gordon didn’t disclose the full extent of his injury or whether it will sideline him from training or future fights.
Despite the setback, Gordon (21-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC) put on one of the most exciting performances of the night. The bout was highly competitive, though it was evident that his mobility was limited against Garcia (18-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC). The loss stalled some of the momentum for the 37-year-old fighter, who had been coming off an impressive knockout victory over Thiago Moises in May.
Noche UFC Main Event is ‘Fight of the Year’ Candidate
The rest of the UFC card celebrating Mexican Heritage Month delivered, as well.
There were several standout finishes on the card, but none matched the main event, where Diego Lopes rebounded from his loss to Alexander Volkanovski in the vacant featherweight title fight by landing a devastating elbow on Jean Silva. The spinning strike sent the favored Brazilian to the canvas, and Lopes finished him off moments later.
While recency bias is always a factor in MMA, the finish—deservedly—sparked “Fight of the Year” discussions among fans and analysts alike.
Here are the other Noche UFC finishes:
- Diego Lopes def. Jean Silva via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:48
- Rafa Garcia def. Jared Gordon via TKO (elbows) – Round 3, 2:27
- Alexander Hernandez def. Diego Ferreira via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:46
- Santiago Luna def. Quang Le via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:48
- Dusko Todorovic def. Jose Medina via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:21
- Alden Coria def. Alessandro Costa via TKO (injury) – Round 3, 0:47
- Daniil Donchenko def. Rodrigo Sezinando via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:27
UFC Fighter Reveals He Was Hit by Car Hours Before His Fight