While Alden Coria had a successful outing at UFC Houston against Luis Gurule, it came with a setback. The UFC flyweight was handed an indefinite medical suspension after the match. While all the 28 fighters featured on the card received medical suspensions, Coria’s situation stood out. Among the athletes flagged by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, only two fighters received indefinite layoffs: Ramiz Brahimaj and Coria. The ruling requires clearance before either fighter can return to competition inside the Octagon.

More details related to Coria’s situation have now surfaced on social media from Damon Morgan. Coria defeated Luis Gurule via unanimous decision in his second bout in the promotion. But despite him being on the winning side, Coria received the longer medical suspension. However, it is still unclear how the flyweight suffered a fractured right hand during the bout, as the injury specifics are usually revealed in other states; in Texas, they keep them private.

Alden Coria’s fractured hand raises UFC glove concerns after Houston Fight Night

“Just spoke to Alden Coria, who received an indefinite suspension after #UFCHouston,” wrote Damon Morgan on X. “He tells me he may have suffered a fractured right hand in the fight, and he still needs to get X-rays to know the full extent of the damage.” 

Among the 28 fighters, most suspensions are often just precautions that fighters can come back from faster if they’re medically cleared. They also don’t take into account injuries that might not be flagged during the examinations that are done immediately after the fight. But the scenario is different for fighters who suffer severe injuries like Brahimaj and Coria.

The precise reason for Coria’s injury remains unknown because the fight showed no submission attempts that targeted his hand and no visible injuries from physical contact, which makes striking exchanges the most likely explanation for his injuries. Hand injuries are the most common concern in MMA. A research analysis of UFC fights from 2016 to 2019, published in The Physician and Sports Medicine, identified the hand as the most frequently injured upper-limb region, with striking as the primary cause.

MMA fighters use 4-ounce gloves, which differ from boxing gloves. MMA gloves design allows fighters to grapple better while maintaining hand movement and providing minimal protection and limited wrist support. Since 2024, the gloves used by UFC fighters received criticism for their inadequate protection. Many fighters believe that has increased chance of hand fractures.

Alden Coria’s UFC Houston injury scare highlights another brutal setback on the card

While Alden Coria and Ramiz Brahimaj were on UFC Houston’s medical suspension list with indefinite layoffs, they were not the only names to raise concern. The bout before theirs saw a disturbing moment in the women’s bantamweight division, where Nora Cornolle’s bout took a worrying turn, with the fighter visibly screaming in pain.

Nora Cornolle had a rough go in her last outing, where she suffered a loss via rear-naked choke by Joselyn Edwards in a bantamweight bout. The bout started slow but picked it’s pace in the second round when Edwards delivered a powerful slam. Referee Jacob Montalvo let the match proceed even though Cornolle showed extreme disorientation after the collision. Edwards delivered multiple punches to Cornolle.

Edwards observed Montalvo while Cornolle’s head moved without any signs of life. She executed a back grab when the referee did not stop the match. Edwards executed a rear-naked choke, which forced Cornolle to submit after she went into a fetal position following Montalvo’s intervention.

Cornolle refused to stand for the decision because she seemed to have injured her arm. Once she got up onto her corner stool, Cornolle was filmed crying in agony after suffering what appears to be a very serious injury.