An Iranian MMA fighter got his ass kicked not once but twice while competing at an event in Moscow.
Making his promotional debut at Hardcore MMA 90 on April 19, Ali Heibati immediately rubbed fight fans the wrong way when he kicked a ring card girl in her rear end as she was making her walk around the cage. She then turned back and appeared to share a few words with Heibati before the referee stepped in between them and presumably issued a warning to the fighter.
It didn’t take long for Heibati to get his comeuppance as his opponent, Arkadiy Osipyan, handily defeated him with a series of ground-and-pound strikes in the final minute of the opening round.
With the fight called off, Heibati climbed back to his feet and tried to restart the scrap, taking multiple cheap shots at Osipyan while his back was turned.
Despite the multiple displays of poor sportsmanship, Heibati was inexplicably allowed to stay in the cage for a post-fight interview where he attempted to head-kick a commentator.
By the time he exited the cage, fans were ready to pounce.
As he began making his way to the backstage area, a surge of fans bum-rushed Heibiti, shoving him over some chairs before throwing their fists and anything else they could find at the disrespectful MMA fighter.
Muslim MMA fighter from Iran kicked a ring girl because of her clothes at a tournament in Russia
Before the fight, a fighter from Iran, Ali Heibati, kicked a girl who brought out a sign with the round number.
In the first round, the Iranian lost to the representative of… pic.twitter.com/cR64IZp7JD
— Voice of Europe
(@V_of_Europe) April 21, 2024
(@V_of_Europe)
Scène de CHAOS hier en Russie…
Ali Heibati fait d’abord un geste obscènes sur une ring girl, attaque ensuite son adversaire après sa défaite, puis le prennent violemment à parti par une dizaine de personnes.
— La Sueur (@LaSueur_off) April 20, 2024
The moment when Iranian fighter Ali Heibati kicked a ring girl
Mano do céu
O momento que o lutador ali heibati chutou a ring girl pic.twitter.com/xXXX0j5pKn
— Max Tips (@tipsandpicksus) April 22, 2024
Ali Heibati apologizes for his show of disrespect at MMA event in Russia
Following all the drama, Heibati issued a public apology to the ring card girl, identified as Maria.
“Hello everyone. This is for Maria. I didn’t act right with her. The reason was that before the MMA fight there were a lot of fistfights. I stayed there in the cage and I just wanted to go out and fight,” he said. “I was tense and, as most understand, emotions flourish in the fight, so before the fight I acted badly towards María.
“I want to publicly apologise to her. I am a married man, so I respect the female gender. She was doing her job and I, after the fight, didn’t admit my guilt either, because they also hit me on the head. Tell María that I am sorry” (h/t DailyMail).
Ali Heibati after the fight about what happened.
— Truthseeker (@Xx17965797N) April 22, 2024
Translation please
Unfortunately for Heibati, it was too little, too late. By the time it was all said and done, he was slapped with a lifetime ban from HFC.