Surgeon Reacts to Pantoja's 26-Second Elbow Disaster

UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja suffered a brutal elbow injury just 26 seconds into his fight — and in this video, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Caleb Davis breaks down exactly what happened.

You’ll learn:

The precise mechanism of Pantoja’s elbow injury

Why this pattern is almost identical to a recent high-profile quarterback injury

What happens biomechanically during a posterior elbow dislocation with radial head involvement

When the injury becomes unstable enough to need open reduction, internal fixation, or radial head arthroplasty

How the lateral collateral ligament complex fails, why athletes lose stability, and what that means for return-to-sport timelines

Rehabilitation expectations, complications, and why combat sports amplify these risks

Dr. Davis also compares Pantoja’s injury to similar catastrophic elbow injuries in combat sports and football, explaining why these mechanisms repeat and what makes them so devastating.

Whether you’re a fan, an athlete, or you just want the surgeon’s-eye view of one of the most dramatic early-fight injuries of the year, this breakdown gives you the full story.

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