One of the more disturbing and enjoyably gross aspects of Saturday night's EliteXC prime time bloodfest was the inevitable popping of James "Colossus" Thompson's swelled cauliflower ear by the mighty right of Kimbo Slice. As Kimbo's fist kept wailing and wailing on the purple upper region of Thompson's ear, it was only a matter of seconds until the messy pop. It was like watching a crazy person attack a pinata with an aluminum bat.
Writer Ryan Spoon does a wonderful job outlining the sequence of events and offers up this handy little Wiki-nition of the gnarly condition that America witnessed up close and personal Saturday night:
Cauliflower ear is a condition most common among wrestlers, rugby players, mixed martial artists, and boxers. If the external portion of the ear suffers a blow, a blood clot or other fluid may collect under the perichondrium. This separates the cartilage from the overlying perichondrium that is its source of nutrients, causing the cartilage to die. This leads to a formation of fibrous tissue in the overlying skin. When this happens, the outer ear becomes permanently swollen and deformed, thus resembling a cauliflower.
Anybody have the feeling that the more and more popular this sport becomes, Cauliflower Ears will suddenly become sexy? Ladies love a man who's strong, rugged and deformed.
Kimbo Slice Teaches Us About James Thompson's Ear and Cauliflower Ear [Be Recruited Sports Wrap]