Why Do Fighters Get Cauliflower Ears

Have you ever watched a professional fight, say MMA, and noticed the fighters have puffy, deformed ears? They’re called cauliflower ears, medically known as “Perichondrial Hematoma”, and are very common in combat sports, such as wrestling, and high-contact sports like rugby.

Leading onto our next point, how do fighters get cauliflower ears?

Cauliflower ears are a result of constant trauma to the ear, resulting in blood pooling in the pinna which restricts blood getting to your cartilage; causing a deformity in your ear. In fighting, this could be punches, chokes, or any rubbing near the ear. It usually requires beatings to your ear over consecutive days; however, in rare cases, a single knock-out punch to the ear can cause enough damage for cauliflower ears.

What’s the biology behind it?

1. After experiencing trauma, the blood vessels in your perichondrium (a tissue responsible for delivering blood to your ear cartilage) become damaged.
   
   
2. So, any blood intended to be delivered to the ear (specifically, ear cartilage) starts to pool.
   
   
3. As a result, blood flow to the cartilage is reduced, so it lacks nutrients.
   
   
4. If untreated, the cartilage shrinks and dies (necrosis). Without this, your ear heals but grows back deformed, because it doesn’t have the support of the cartilage. New fibrous tissue forms, which folds over itself, giving the cauliflower look.
   
   
5. However, if you treat it fast enough – for example by draining the hematoma – you can reattach the perichondrium to the cartilage; preventing it from dying; and preventing cauliflower ears.

Can Boxers Get Cauliflower Ears

When thinking of cauliflower ears, our minds instantly go to MMA, BJJ, and Wrestling. But, how about the most popular combat sport, boxing?

Compared to other combat sports, it’s rare for boxers to get cauliflower ears. This is because a neutral guard involves keeping your fists raised above your neck. This stance naturally blocks your ears from your opponent’s punches (at least most of them) so they take less of a beating. As a result, bruising is common, but it’s less likely to become traumatic and develop into cauliflower ears.

One of the main reasons boxers benefit from this, and not other combat sports, is due to the size of their gloves. They’re large, padded, and chunky so are ideal to protect your ears. The odds are decreased further when amateur/white-collar boxing as the gloves are even larger, plus you must wear a head guard.

An additional reason is cauliflower ears happen when your ears turn, fold, smash on the floor, or rotate in awkward angles. Put simply, this doesn’t happen often in boxing.

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Yes, it’s infrequent, but it isn’t impossible. A few situations could cause cauliflower ears, for example:

• A few, clean punches landing to your ear can result in cauliflower ears. Often when your opponent dummies a body shot, tricking you into dropping your guard, exposing your face, and striking.
  
  
• Henry Cooper said the most skilled boxers in the 20th century had cauliflower ears. He explained it often meant the boxer could slip punches with a small shift of his head, only the ears being compromised by the surface of the attacker’s glove.
  
  
• When boxers spend lots of time clenching, the constant rubbing and friction can traumatize the ear.
  
  
• Sheer frustration – Mike Tyson definitely gave Holyfield ear trauma after he bit it!

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How Do Fighters Prevent Cauliflower Ears

Before we talk about how fighters prevent cauliflower ears, it’s important to mention ‘the badge of honor.’ Many see cauliflower ears as a medal or a symbol of toughness – after all, it tells everyone you wrestle without opening your mouth.

In this sense, some fighters choose not to treat it, some even try getting it intentionally! We don’t recommend this, in fact, we advise using our prevention methods…

• Using A Headguard
  The most effective method to protect your ears is using a head guard. They support your ears, to stop them from folding, rotating, or bending. In addition, they offer padding to absorb any impact from punches, kicks, or the ground. According to a 2022 study, “headgear can reduce the prevalence of auricular hematomas by up to 50%.”
  
  
• Bring A Syringe
  If you have the guts, carry a syringe with you and have a medical expert drain the blood from your ear before it sets hard. If you suck the fluid out of the hematoma (swelling) you can encourage blood flow again, preventing the cartilage from dying and stopping the formation of the cauliflower shape.
  
  
• Tape Your Ears
  While it’s more common with rugby players, a common practice is to tape your ears to the back of your head. This helps to stabilize the ear – restricting any harsh tugs to the ear.
  
  
• Take Breaks and Ice
  In sports like BJJ, the risk of getting cauliflower ears is so much higher. You could be in a triangle choke, being thrown on the floor, or giving your opponent a bear hug – all of which can compromise your ear’s natural position. To prevent friction from damaging your blood vessels, take frequent breaks and place ice on your ear to cool it down and encourage recovery.

Can You Wrestle And Not Get Cauliflower Ears

Not everyone sees them as a badge of honor, which is advisable considering the danger it puts your ears in. However, many athletes still want to wrestle; so, a common question is if you have to make the sacrifice, or can you wrestle and prevent cauliflower ears?

Cauliflower ears are preventable for fighters who wrestle as a hobby. If you moderately fight using the appropriate safety precautions (such as a head guard), you can protect your ears and prevent them from pooling. As a result, you can still practice martial arts and not get cauliflower ears.

It’s all about moderation. It’s rare to see casual fighters get cauliflower ears; they don’t fight as intensely or as often so don’t expose their ears to lots of friction. Proffessionals, or fighters training to be, participate without head guards and have constant beats to the ears. In this instant, it’s far more difficult to avoid cauliflower ears.

In saying this, there are situations where grapplers avoid cauliflower ears. For example:

• While research is limited, some individuals believe genetics determine the ease at which your perichondrium becomes damaged. Some fighters wrestle for years and never experience cauliflower ears. We call them the lucky ones. It can link to your ear’s size, strength, or toughness – science yet concludes.
  
  
• If you’re quick to drain the hematoma you can prevent the formation of the cauliflower shape. This is because draining the swelling encourages blood flow to your cartilage again, so it remains healthy. Therefore, despite experiencing the same damage, you can prevent the deformity.

If you want to pursue a passion in combat sports but are extremely concerned about cauliflower ears, we recommend boxing. You still get the thrill from fighting, but the nature of the sport is less harsh on your ears.

Famous Fighters With Cauliflower Ears

If you’re into martial arts, there is a high chance you know someone who has cauliflower ears. But for those who don’t, you’re almost guaranteed to see them when you turn on the television and watch MMA/ UFC. Here are some to look out for:

Conor Mcgregor

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While Conor Mcgregor isn’t famous for his cauliflower ears, he is definitely the face of UFC and because of this, it’s difficult not to include him on this list. In saying this, his ears have deformed and there is obvious inflammation around the cartilage area.

He was born on July 14, 1988 and raised in Dublin, Ireland. He was the second Irish man to compete in the UFC, following Tom Egan. Conor is a striker, rather than a grappler so often stands during his fights; kicking, elbowing, and punching his opponents. But he does one thing better than fighting. His trash-talking. His creative insults made him one of the most entertaining fighters!

Despite his low weight (former Feather and Lightweight champion) his cauliflower ears are still noticeable, as seen in the photo. This highlights that cauliflower won’t always come from the hardest punches, but instead from the tussle, rolling, and flipping in a fight.

Unlike other fighters on this list, Conor’s cauliflower ears are relatively even on each side. And since he announced his retirement, the cauliflower ears rage less red and inflamed.

Randy Couture

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Randy Couture was the first to ever hold two UFC championship titles in different divisions: light-heavyweight and heavyweight. This made him a star in the fighting industry, something which he got used to as he’s an actor too! Starring in movies such as “The Expendables”, he has made his presence apparent.

He was born on the 22nd of June 1963 in Washington, United States, and made his first appearance in the UFC in December of 1997, at age 33. Throughout his fighting career, he had 16 title fights and was an entertaining watch. Despite retiring from the UFC, he still remains a respected figure in the industry –  he was even inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Randy’s cauliflower ears have become part of his brand, especially due to his movie appearances. No make-up, no CGI, no A.I., this is Randy’s look and it’s raw!

For the people, they’re a badge of his honor as they represent his toughness and highlight the intensity he trains. But for him, he says “You want it until you finally have it, when you want nothing more than for it to go away.”

Randy’s ears are very deformed, with little to no shape to them. He explains how uncomfortable they are and tells a reporter he even went to visit a doctor. However, despite draining the fluid, the doctor explained the damage was permanent, so he must live with them forever.

Khabib Nurmagomedov

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Khabib Nurmagomedov is another icon in the fighting industry, recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Khabib has had 29 UFC fights – all wins and no losses. He is well-recognized – even for those who don’t watch the sport – due to his fight with Conor Mcgregor (which set records for the largest MMA pay-per-view event, with 2.4 million purchases in the US).

Khabib is a Russian fighter, now retired, who was the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion in history. He was born on the 20th of September 1988 in Sildi, Russia. He was fighting from a young age – known to wrestle bears at 9 years old! Khabib’s fighting style involves a mix of takedowns and wrestling as he pressures his opponents against the cage where he can get them into submission and win the tap.

Considering the amount of BJJ involved in Khabib’s fighting style it’s no surprise he has cauliflower ears. It’s a lot more swollen in his right ear – likely because it’s his preferred side to wrestle. Some say he had cauliflower ears as young as 10 years old, so is likely he’ll have this deformity for the rest of his life.

Khabib says his cauliflower ears cause problems, such as wearing headphones! But despite these minor inconveniences, when asked if will he ever get it treated he says no, as he fears it will look bad!

Alexander Gustafsson

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Alexander Gustafsson has shown the traits of a true fighter from young. At only 16 years old, he won the national championship (youth-junior level) in 2003, at the age of 16. Despite his success, he began training MMA in 2006, only 3 years after he signed his contract with the UFC.

Alexander was born on the 15th of January 1987, in Arboga, Sweden. Due to his boxing background, his fighting style consists of a lot of striking; though, he has made strides to improve his grappling and wrestling. His nickname, “The Mauler” is reflective of this as it defines a fighter who batters the opponent!

Alex likely developed cauliflower ears when he focused on his grappling, rather than his boxing.

Looking face-on his cauliflower ears are obvious – his right ear more so. There is heavy inflammation at the top of his cartilage, though it becomes less aggressive towards the center. Because of this, his ears are still recognizable compared to other fighters who look like slabs of flesh glued to the side of their heads.

You can also notice how red the tips of his ears are, compared to his skin color, which is a result of the hematoma. This adds to his intimidating features, helping him to fear opponents and live up to his nickname!

James Thompsons

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James Thompson has a varied background, often referred to as the rags-to-riches story. He was a skilled rugby player, working as a debt collector, and nightclub bouncer as well as competing in amateur bodybuilding. But, it was MMA he decided to pursue and is likely to never be forgotten.

James was born on the 16 of December 1978 in Rochdale, England. He began his MMA career fighting in the British promotion Ultimate Combat (UC). James won six of his first seven professional fights, though faced a hurdle after fighting Tengiz Tedoradze – a much more experienced fighter where his team threw in the white flag.

After this fight, and incurring more challenges, James became well-established in the heavyweight division. Overall he is a powerful fighter and very skilled, and deserves all the credit he gets.

While he isn’t known for his cauliflower ears now, he has one of the most graphic injuries.

When fighting under the Elite Xtreme Combat, against Kimbo Slice, he stepped into the cage with an obvious, swollen cauliflower ear. Slice hit Thompson’s ear, making it burst open and blood splatter everywhere. It was only moments until the referee stopped the fight.

After the hit, James’ ear was dangling like a piece of string, and blood was dripping onto the floor. It wasn’t a nice site to watch. Nonetheless, he has recovered well and his ears look even healthier than when he stepped into the ring!

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