Mike Davis’ loss at UFC Abu Dhabi is the latest to raise eyebrows to high levels, and this time the pre- and post-fight theatrics could be more interesting than the fight itself.
Nurullo Aliev had a lot of the fight under his control by wrestling and grappling with Davis, and a unanimous decision went to Aliev. Davis later took to the internet and ranted about Aliev’s fighting style, rather than taking the result on the chin. The offensive language quickly got to him, though, when he complained about wrestlers in the UFC using the offensive language that targets LGBTQ people.
MMA fans’ response was instant. There were many who said that wrestling is not some sort of “loophole” in mixed martial arts; it’s one of the most important skills. Huge fans reminded Davis that the “M” in MMA is mixed—meaning that the players will be dealing with striking, grappling, clinch work, submissions, and pressure.
Some of them pointed out Davis may be more at home in boxing or Muay Thai if he is looking for stand-up fights. Still, others said that it’s bad form to disparage the opponent’s strategy after their loss—particularly when Aliev played by the rules and received a clear 30-27 scorecard from all three judges.
Davis also stated that he was ill during fight week and that he still opted to fight. But that was no appeaser to the backlash, as his post-fight remarks were much more offensive than his physical appearance.
Now that the debate is over, it’s time to wonder if the UFC will get back at the controversy. The promotion has previously acted against fighters for offensive comments, and Davis’ comments may prove to be a pressure on officials to deal with the issue.
Nurullo Aliev had a great win for their country. But for Mike Davis, it was the end of more than just a losing season. His emotional response has made this routine decision loss one of the most discussed UFC controversies of the weekend.
