Belbita Updates On Grisly ‘Flamingo Knee’ Injury

Molly McCann didn’t just tap Belbita with an armbar, she bent her opponent’s arm fully backwards with it. Now Belbita is sharing an update on the potential damage suffered.

“Meatball” Molly McCann got back into the win column on Saturday night at UFC Vegas 85, and she did it by snapping her opponent Diana Belbita’s arm backwards with an armbar (watch that finish here)

The injury, affectionately known amongst grizzled MMA veterans as the ‘flamingo knee,’ is when your arm gets hyperextended past the humeroulnar joint. It can lead to a broken arm or damaged ligaments. Fortunately in this case, Belbita’s arm isn’t broken.

“The CT scan on Diana Belbita’s arm came back negative per her team and she avoided a broken arm,” Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter reported.

“No broken bone,” Belbita confirmed on X (formerly Twitter). “I have to do an MRI as soon as I get back into Canada. It feels like a torn ligament.”

It’s hard to know how long Belbita may be out. Torn ligaments that don’t require surgery can heal in two months. If surgery is required it can take nine months or more before an athlete can return to competition at full strength.

The first round submission loss puts Belbita at 0-2 against “Meatball” Molly. They had previously fought to a decision back in 2019. Since that loss, Belbita has continued to struggle in the UFC. She’s 2-4 over her last six fights.