(Props: Fightlinker. If you make it past the :20 of this video, you’ll never be the same.)
Brazilian fighter Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons deserves a spot among the founding fathers of MMA. He’s been in the sport since 1993, he’s taken on everyone from Pat Miletich to Matt Hughes to Chuck Liddell, and he is as fierce a competitor as you’re likely to find. That said, someone should stop him, because he may be on the verge of doing something terrible to himself.
Many of you will recall the horrifying leg injury that “Pele” suffered in February. While attempting a leg kick against Brian Gassaway, his tibia essentially snapped in half, leaving the lower part of his leg to flop uselessly beneath him like an empty tube sock. It was the kind of injury that spectators probably needed therapy to get over.
You’d think after that, his biggest concern would be walking. But since “Pele” is obviously no normal man, his only focus is getting another shot at Gassaway. When does he think he might be ready to fight again, considering this grotesque injury happened just over two months ago? About a month from now. At least that’s what he told GracieMag.com:
“I’m training light in Jiu-Jitsu and boxing, but I’m limited due to this serious injury. I think my recovery has been coming along well, but I have to be careful. It’s still recent, only two months now, but I think in one month I’ll be able to fight again.”
“You could see I actually broke it before kicking. You can see right after the second round begins I did a front kick that didn’t connect and then when I put my foot down the peronio was already broken, then after that my tibia breaks.”
“I wanted it considered a ‘No Contest’ and them to grant me a revenge match. He (Brian Gassaway) was losing. I hope TKO re-watches the fight and does what’s right. I think if the referee had seen it he wouldn’t give my opponent the win.”
Two things: 1) where I come from, the guy who crumples to the ground with a severely broken leg at the end of a fight is always declared the loser, and 2) if you just had your lower leg snapped in half two months ago, the issue of whether the fight is ruled an ‘NC’ or a loss is not your biggest problem right now.
I respect “Pele’s” warrior spirit. I really do. But doesn’t the man have any friends who could step in here? Isn’t this the right time to stage some sort of intervention? I don’t know what kind of doctor he’s seeing, but if it’s a medical one I have to assume that “Pele” has been warned against fighting in a month. Somehow, that advice isn’t sinking in. This could end badly.
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“I wanted it considered a ‘No Contest’ – hahaha, this reminds me on that Black Knight in the Monty Python Quest for Holy Grail
)) – let’s call it a draw!