Akira Corassani knew Maximo Blanco didn’t have the best reputation for keeping it clean during a fight prior to their TUF 18 finale matchup.
Corassani pegged Blanco as a “dirty” fighter and has good reason to feel that way. Corassani‘s night ended early as Blanco hit him with a knee to the face while Corassani‘s hand was clearly on the ground.
Whether it was intentional or not, the blow was blatantly illegal. Mario Yamasaki stepped in to call a halt to the bout, and it appeared as though Corassani was down and out.
It seemed as though fans were quick to think Croassani was faking the injury after initially struggling with Blanco early on. Despite that ridiculous notion, there was quite a bit of blood coming from Corassani‘s nose, and we know why now.
It’s because his nose was broken in five separate places.
Broke my nose in 5 places which was not as bad as the concussion from the knee. The dizziness got worse gradually and I was rocked as hell. Truthfully I dont remember much but this was not the way I wanted to win, I was more than ready for this fight and due to a stupid move the fight was ruined. Thanks for all your support and I’ll be back soon! (via Instagram post)
I’m not sure why fans would immediately assume Corassani was faking the injury. He’s attempted to put off the “tough guy” attitude in the past, and given the foul occurred so early in the fight, I don’t see any advantage Corassani had in faking the injury to end the fight.
Blanco is now 1-3 in his last four fights, and the UFC has shown it’s not going to tolerate fighters who stretch the rules inside the cage (see Rousimar Palhares). He may get another shot in the UFC based on his potential, but I don’t believe anyone would miss him if he were sent packing overseas.
Corassani, meanwhile, is technically on a three-fight winning streak. He’s looked much better at featherweight, and it will be interesting to see what the UFC does with him when he returns.
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