What is up with James Thompson's ear?

Question

I'm watching the fight on t.v. right now and his left ear is all puffed up. Is it just swollen from getting hit? By the way his ear looks like this before the fight.

Answer 1

it sucks for people that have it because it can't be surgically fixed either.  thompsons is rather extreme though.  it looked like a wounded duck flapping around on the side of his head.

Answer 2

Thomson's ear was puffed up like that because he has what is known as cauliflower ear. This happens often in amateur (high school, freestyle, greco-roman wrestling), and in boxing.

This happens when the ear gets rubbed alot in the mat or is repeatedly hit, and the veins inside the ear burst. if someone gets cauliflower and doesn't have their ears drained right away the blood dries and hardens (into somewhat a solid) which was why his ear was like that before the fight.

But during the actual fight you can see his cauliflower ear was re injured turning black and swelling back up, which was when kimbo went after the ear knowing the fight would be stop

Answer 3

I know i thought the same thing

apparently he has a condition called

cauliflower ear

it's common in wrestlers boxers and ruby players

Answer 4

I think it's just extremely edematous from the extensive inflammatory response, that's why it looks so messed up.

Answer 5

This commonly happens to people's ears when they eat too much cauliflower at an early age. It eventually leads to death.

Answer 6

Thompson ear is typical for boxers, wrestlers and any one else who has multiple amounts of Trauma to the ear- Its called Calli-flower (not sure of technical term). Whenever you get hit blood rushes to the bruised area immediately and since our ears are made out of cartilage- blood cannot escape and increases in size. It was bound to happen- and he's lucky if he doesn't lose the d**n thing it looked like it weighed 2 lbs.

Answer 7

Cauliflower ear (also hematoma auris or perichondrial hematoma) is a condition most common among wrestlers, rugby players, mixed martial artists, and boxers. If the external portion of the ear suffers a blow, a blood clot or other fluid may collect under the perichondrium. This separates the cartilage from the overlying perichondrium that is its source of nutrients, causing the cartilage to die. This leads to a formation of fibrous tissue in the overlying skin. When this happens, the outer ear becomes permanently swollen and deformed, thus resembling a cauliflower.

Headgear that protects the ears is worn in wrestling and rugby (where it is called a "scrum cap"), many martial arts, and other contact sports to help prevent this condition.

Cauliflower ear is often the source of pride for wrestlers and fighters. Thus, they disdain the protective gear[1].

Treatment

When fluid collection in the outer ear occurs, it is important to contact a doctor immediately and have it treated. The doctor will evacuate the fluid and apply a compressing tie to the outer ear to reconnect the perichondrium and the cartilage. The compressing tie must be left in place for some time, generally 10 days, to prevent the fluid from building up again. Another treatment involves the use of leeches to drain blood, reduce internal pressure, and promote bleeding.

The outer ear is prone to infections, so antibiotics are usually prescribed. If the pressure is left alone without medical intervention, the ear can suffer very serious damage. Pressure can build up and eventually rupture the ear drum. When this occurs, the ear may further wrinkle, and can become slightly pale; hence the common term "cauliflower ear". Should the ear drum rupture, the only treatment option is to heal the existing wound with stitches. Even with treatment, significant hearing loss may occur. Today, cosmetic procedures are available which can greatly improve the appearance of the ear, even though internal damage will persist.

The Martial Arts documentary "Cauliflower Ear & The Modern Day Warrior" features a small segment on cauliflower ear and other injuries in Mixed Martial Arts.

References

^ Preston Williams. "For Wrestlers a Swelled Sense of Pride" (HTML), The Washington Post, 2008-03-06, pp. PG14. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.

Answer 8

i am watching it too, i thought it was califlower ear at first, but looks to me there is fluid in the ear. that should have been drained out before the fight.

was it just me, or did it look like the camera was focused on his ear during the entrance and stare down?

also, why did the camera pull away for a couple seconds in the middle of the first round. was it edited?

Answer 9

Floyd Mayweather punched him in it.