Photo: Bloodied, battered Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald post-fight at hospital

Twitter was overflowing superlatives. UFC President Dana White dubbed it not only the “Fight of the Night,” but possibly his “Fight of the Ever.” But it came at a cost.

In Saturday’s UFC 189 pay-per-view co-main event, Robbie Lawler (26-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) defended his welterweight title for the fight time with a grueling fifth-round TKO victory over game challenger Rory MacDonald (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC).

The bloody instant classic will undoubtedly earn “Fight of the Year” consideration, largely because both fighters were so effective yet so durable.

By the time the fight concluded and fans at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena gave a standing ovation, the two fighters were simply spent. Lawler, who suffered a terribly split lip and lacerated scalp, ultimately forced the stoppage after tagging MacDonald’s already clearly mangled nose (check out the Lawler vs. MacDonald video highlights, of browse the fight-night photos below).

After the event, MacDonald’s coach, Tristar Gym’s Firas Zahabi, posted the above photo from the hospital (via Instagram). While one of his prized pupils came up short in his long-awaited title bid, Zahabi obviously couldn’t be too disappointed with MacDonald’s remarkable effort.

For complete coverage of UFC 189, check out the UFC Events section of the site.