Report: Jimi Manuwa tore his ACL and MCL, was still cleared to fight Jan Blachowicz at UFC Fight Night 64

With so many fighters consistently getting injured in training and pulling out of fights, it is quite difficult for mixed martial arts (MMA) fans to get excited over scheduled bouts nowadays.

That, in part, is what makes Jimi Manuwa's story so incredible.

The British slugger -- who defeated Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 64 this past Saturday (April 11, 2015) -- told Dan Hardy after his bout in Krakow, Poland that he nearly pulled out of the fight a few weeks back with an injury.

At the post-fight press conference, "The Poster Boy" expanded on what exactly happened (From MMA Fighting):

"I almost didn't make it to the fight. I only got cleared, like, literally last week to fight. I had a bad knee injury. I tore my meniscus, and MCL and ACL as well. They told me I shouldn't fight, and I said no, I've got to fight. I can't pull out of the fight. So you know, it was a big decision for me and the team, but we had to go through with it."

Wow.

Just yesterday top-ranked middleweight Yoel Romero pulled out of his scheduled fight against Ronaldo Souza at UFC on FOX 15 with a torn meniscus, and now we find out Manuwa fought with three torn ligaments!?

You have to believe part of the decision for the Brit not to withdraw was the fact that he had been out of action for a year following his (technical) knockout loss to Alexander Gustafsson, including his withdrawal from a scheduled bout against Shogun Rua just a week before UFC Fight Night 56 due to a broken foot.

Even with the injury, Manuwa noted that he hopes to fight twice more before the end of 2015, but that will depend heavily on his prognosis.

For complete results from UFC Fight Night 64: "Gonzaga vs. Cro Cop 2," including play-by-play updates, click here.