GRAPHIC: Evangelista Santos awaiting surgery on fractured skull sustained on Saturday night
In the aftermath of Michael Page's Bellator 158 victory over Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos, all that most people were talking about was the British fighter's Pokemon-themed celebration.
However, after watching the clip, it's impossible not to notice the brutality of the knockout itself, which left Brazilian fighter Santos laid out on the ground from of a flying knee from London-born 'Venom'.
It later emerged that Page connected with such force that it left his opponent with a fractured skull, and Cyborg was admitted to hospital in the early hours of the morning.
BREAKING: Cyborg Santos currently in surgery for a fractured skull. Per @andremgeorgiou #Bellator158
— Nick 🧃🐿 (@BitaNick) July 16, 2016
According to the doctors. Cyborg has a depressed fracture from the knee MVP landed. Surgeons currently working on him. #Bellator158
— Nick 🧃🐿 (@BitaNick) July 16, 2016
The second-round defeat left him with a career MMA record of 21-18, with Page extending his unbeaten professional record to 11-0 including seven knockouts. The 38-year-old, who hails from Curitiba, has lost his last two Bellator bouts after entering the promotion with a first-round submission of Brennan Ward back in April.
Santos' ex-wife Cris 'Cyborg' Justino shared a photograph showing the extent of his injuries and urging fans to donate to his recovery costs via a GoFundMe page.
"I’m under observation now, and will have surgery in the United States," Santos told MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz. "I had a serious injury, but Bellator is giving me all the support I need."
Bellator commentator Jimmy Smith, who was cageside for the bout, claims to have spoken to a cut man who told him that he had only ever seen an injury that severe in a car crash.
A cut man who had worked as an EMT saw Cyborg after and told me he had only seen an injury like that in a severe car crash
— Jimmy Smith (@jimmysmithmma) July 17, 2016
