Daniel Frunza sustained a horrific lip injury after losing to Rhys McKee at UFC Vegas 105 on Saturday.
Frunza was defeated in the first round by Irishman McKee, and UFC president Dana White shared a shocking video of the injury afterwards.
Frunza, 30, now has a record of 9-3 after the fight, but the damage to his face will likely be of more concern than his professional record.
The Romanian fighter completely split his upper lip – so severely that the ringside doctor stopped the fight before the second round.
Frunza has since received stitches to repair his lip.
The 6'1" fighter, nicknamed 'Tigano', appeared ready to continue fighting, but ultimately had to accept the defeat.
Fans online have praised the officials for stopping the fight.
One fan commented, "Good stoppage. He would have lost his entire lip."
Another added, "These doctors are incredible."
Frunza also sustained a significant black eye and cuts all over his face from the brutal fight.
On his Instagram page after the fight, he stated: "I feel good. A bit heartbroken about the result, but I'll be back and more dangerous than ever."
This loss concludes Frunza`s five-fight winning streak, which included a victory over Vadtm Kustsyi in his previous fight.
Meanwhile, McKee secured his first UFC victory after losing his first four promotional fights.
He also received a $50,000 (£38,800) Performance of the Night bonus.
In other events, Lerone Murphy defeated Josh Emmett by unanimous decision in the main event of the evening.
Pat Sabatini defeated Joanderson Brito, and Chang Ho Lee achieved a TKO victory over Cortavious Romious.
Gideon Holt