Idris Abdurashidov, a Russian mixed martial arts boxer, was banned from fighting for life after knocking out his opponent with an illegal head kick on October 20 during his professional boxing debut in Phuket, Thailand. The 21-year-old, who has a 4-0 record and is unbeaten in mixed martial arts, is well-known for his ability to knock out opponents in MMA, but he made a risky switch to boxing rules.
By the fourth round of his bout with Iranian boxer Bagher Faraji, Abdurashidov seemed to be having trouble. In a startling turn of events, Faraji was immediately floored by the Russian fighter's MMA-style head kick. Both officials and onlookers were taken aback by this unlawful action.
Later, Abdurashidov boasted about his feat on social media while posting the knockout footage, which heightened the debate.
Watch the video here:
He captioned the video in Russian, which, when translated into English, reads:""So he debuted in professional boxing," the caption said. "And disqualification for life, that leg kick I threw (was) a machine gun!"
In addition to receiving significant criticism, the incident resulted in a lifelong boxing ban, with additional sanctions being considered.