Photo: Akira Corassani’s nose broken in five places due to illegal knee

Akira Corassani has silenced any doubts that he was truly unable to continue after eating an illegal knee on Saturday at The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale.

Corassani (12-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC), whose bout with fellow featherweight Maximo Blanco (9-5-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC) ended in just 25 seconds because of the illegal knee to a downed opponent, earned a dubious win via disqualification.

Although the sequence resulted in a smattering of boos at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center, Corassani posted proof of the damage earlier today.

According to Corassani (via Instagram):

Broke my nose in 5 places which was not as bad as the concussion from the knee. The dizziness got worse gradually and I was rocked as hell. Truthfully I dont remember much but this was not the way I wanted to win, I was more than ready for this fight and due to a stupid move the fight was ruined. Thanks for all your support and I’ll be back soon!

In the FOX Sports 1-televised bout, Blanco wasted little time attacking his opponent, putting him on his back and unloading strikes as Corassani attempted to get to his feet. But with Corassani still on one knee and with his hand posted on the mat, Blanco nailed him with a hard knee before he could rise to a standing position. Deemed an intentional blow, the bout was declared a disqualification rather than a no-contest.

In a post-fight interview, Corassani referenced Blanco’s past in-cage indiscretions. Blanco, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to the issue and said, “I felt the knee was OK.”

Corassani, who now has a three-fight UFC winning streak, didn’t reveal an expected time table for his return.

For complete coverage of the TUF 18 Finale, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.