Hematoma alert: Bareknuckle fighter practically grows second head thanks to profuse swelling

Hematomas aren’t totally uncommon in the world of head-punching, but the one bareknuckle boxer Mark Irwin recently grew may be in a class of its own.

Irwin came up short Saturday at BYB 22 in Denver, but the left side of his head came up long. Irwin lost a thrilling, back-and-forth title bout vs. Julio Tonori and paid the price both in health and physical appearance.

As he stood awaiting the official decision, a majority decision for his opponent, Irwin seemed to swell by the second. He showed tremendous heart throughout the bout. Despite the grotesque ballooning of his cranium, Irwin looked unbothered – more focused on the result of the bout than anything else.

At one point, there was so much blood coming from the ear and side of the head, the referee (who picked the wrong night not to wear gloves) shook his hands in an effort to rid the crimson liquid from his bare skin.

Irwin was in good spirits when contacted Wednesday by MMA Junkie, though admittedly he is still in pain. He suffered a fractured jaw and nasal cavity in the bout and is awaiting a recovery plan from his physician.

Take a look for yourself below, courtesy of BYB Extreme Fighting Series:

JULIO TANORI IS YOUR NEW BYB LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION #BYB22 #BYBExtreme #BareKnuckle pic.twitter.com/JiBC4yE6MW

— BYB Extreme Bare Knuckle Fighting Series (@bybextreme) December 3, 2023