Rong Zhu faced Chris Padilla in a lightweight bout at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the second round, Padilla delivered an elbow strike to Zhu that destroyed the latter’s left eye. Padilla won the fight via doctor stoppage.
The Chinese UFC fighter was transported to the hospital for medical evaluation. Zhu’s manager told MMA Mania that Zhu had suffered multiple fractures from that vicious elbow strike. The manager also said Zhu “still cannot open his eye.”
The elbow that sealed the deal 😮💨#UFCVegas97 pic.twitter.com/W3uQm0GU3F
— UFC (@ufc) September 7, 2024
Rong Zhu (25-6) made his UFC debut at UFC 261, where he lost to Kazula Vargas via unanimous decision. Zhu was released from the promotion in 2022. After 14 months, he returned to compete in the Road to UFC tournament. Zhu won the Road to UFC Season 2 Lightweight tournament and earned a new UFC contract.