Ringside physician explains Shane Burgos bizarre KO

UFC 262 delivered some memorable moments, one of which is so bizarre it will require the help of a ringside physician to explain it.

Shane Burgos fought Edson Barboza as the main card opener for UFC 262 and went viral for a case never before seen in the octagon. After walking through Barboza’s striking barrage without issue for three rounds, Burgos yet again got hit with a heavy right hand, this time giving spectators something they couldn’t have imagined. A few seconds after Burgos was hit he started to fall backwards, as if struck by a phantom punch he collapsed against the cage where Barboza applied the finishing blows. The length of time it took Burgos to react to the punches left fans gob-smacked and the commentary booth speculating on what just happened!

Thankfully, fans finally have some sort of explanation regarding what happened Saturday night and all that thanks goes to ringside physician and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. David Abbasi. Dr. Abbasi breaks down sporting injuries on his YouTube channel and gave us an explanation on what exactly happens to our brain once we’ve been knocked out.

“After he gets hit by the punch by Edson Barboza, at first he acts normally and actually we see him do his normal type of head movement back and forth which in my opinion probably made things worse because his brain was probably on the verge of electrical activity where it was going to shut down or have a knockout but it was just on that border,” Dr. Abbasi says before he essentially confirms the commentary booths rumour of Burgos just being ”too tough”:

“But I think that scientifically, probably what’s going on it was probably an intersection of extremely tough will power meeting the scientific verge of a knockout with the abnormal electrical activity.”

Shane Burgos seems to be okay and in good health as he posted on his Instagram after the fight thanking his friends, family and the fans before sending his respects to opponent Edson Barboza. Despite the loss, Burgos and Barboza received an enhanced $75,000 performance bonus (Thanks El Cucuy!) for their efforts in the cage.