Ibragim Khalilov's devastating punch to his opponent's chin was the only strike landed in the three-second fight. (Photo : YouTube/Sports News Everyday)
Touching gloves is one of the primary ways fighters by which fighters show their respect for one another. However, one athlete chose to take advantage of this sportsman-like gesture to land one of the dirtiest and cheapest knockouts in mixed martial arts history.
In WBK 22 – a Chinese mixed martial arts promotion – last Jan. 7, Russian heavyweight fighter Ibragim Khalilov took a swing at his opponent who was trying to show him respect by touching gloves. While fighters should always protect themselves at all times, no one would expect a fighter to fake a glove touch.
This is exactly what Khalilov did in his matchup against Bakhtiyar Barotov. While Barotov extended his arms away from a defensive position to touch gloves, Khalilov threw a devastating hook that landed and left Barotov out cold on the mat. The hit was dirty, but there is nothing against it in the unified rules of MMA, according to Sports Joe.
This tactic, while extremely underhanded, proved to be very effective. To put this fight into perspective, the quickest knockout in UFC history - arguably where the most talented mixed martial artists ply their trade - was seven seconds long. Khalilov's contest against Barotov lasted for less than half that time after the big Russian knocked his opposition out in the span of just three seconds.
A lot of fight fans have been arguing about whether the strike was legal, due to the fact that the tradition of toching gloves is not normally taken advantage of, the New York Post reported. Although the consensus has been pretty split, the fight has gone under the win column for Khalilov. Some fans argue that Barotov shouldn't have had both of his hands extended leaving his chin unguarded, and that Khalilov quickly touched gloves and just took advantage of this mistake.
While a lot of people have been talking about this incident, Khalilov would definitely not want to put this one in his highlight reel. At 31 years old, Khalilov is undefeated at 3-0, but may not have many fights ahead of him, especially after this performance. There has not been an official statement about this fight from the organizers of the WBK promotion.
Watch the devastating and dirty knockout below:
