Any combat sports athlete hopes to avoid staph infection at all costs, but when they don’t, they’re forced out of competition until they’re healed up. The infection is incredibly contagious and if left untreated, can be life-threatening. Unfortunately for those competing in mixed martial arts, skin-to-skin contact and unwashed wrestling mats are a major reason why staph spreads. Staph infection cases are not rare among the MMA community, and we now have another one. Despite the staph infection being in its early stages, UFC middleweight contender Brendan Allen disclosed just how much it had already begun tearing away at his skin.