Brad Riddell’s team refutes claims of ‘strange hand gestures’ against Rafael Fiziev

Brad Riddell and Rafael Fiziev performed last weekend, which is exactly what is expected from the two famous action boxers. The match ended in a third round KO after Fiziev caught Riddell with a kick the wheel to spin nonsense.

Some viewers wondered if Riddell, after taking several big shots from his opponent, attempted to abort the contest before delivering the closing blow. Those theorists point to a hand-waving gesture they say Riddell made during the fight.

Riddell’s camp – City Kickboxing – released a statement refuting claims that Riddell would try to stop a fight.

“FYI for those who think wrongly [Riddell] They call this a weird hand gesture fight, you couldn’t be more wrong,” they wrote on Instagram. “In almost 100 fights, he has never had a TKO or a KO until this one. He will never call for a fight ever, that’s what coaches and corners are for. It’s not Brad’s DNA to call a fight. A great kick that ripped Brads’ conscious brain from his body, man. The most extreme sport on earth! ”

In MMA, it is extremely rare to see a fighter or their corner calling for an end to a skirmish. The sport’s culture seems to forbid athletes from judging their immediate and long-term health by their chances of winning, whatever that may be. This culture is certainly influenced by the program/winner pay structure used by the UFC.

The loss to Fiziev was Riddell’s first loss in the UFC. Before that, he was thrilled with the victory in the War of the Night before Drew Dober. He also holds UFC wins over Alex da Silva Coelho, Magomed Mustafaev and Jamie Mullarkey.

Fiziev’s victory brought him five consecutive victories. He made his UFC debut in 2019 and lost to Mustafaev with a back kick. Since then, he has beaten Alex White, Marc Diakiese, Renato Moicano and Bobby Green.