Cauliflower ear has never been something people aspired to. For most of combat sports history, it was the thing wrestlers and boxers just accepted as an occupational hazard, a permanent disfigurement from repeated blows to the ear that left the cartilage lumpy, hardened, and distinctly pretty nasty looking. And yet, here we are.

According to Russian Telegram channel Baza , a growing number of Russian men are paying to have their ears deliberately deformed to mimic the look of seasoned MMA fighters . The procedure involves compressing the ear to replicate the same trauma that produces auricular hematoma, and it’s apparently booked solid. One practitioner told reporters he’s running a month-long waitlist and charging 6,000 rubles, about $80, per ear. Clients wanting a more dramatic effect need multiple sessions.

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The stated motivation, per Russian news outlets, is simple: to intimidate other men.…