Iranian MMA fighter kicks ring girl before match in Russia, banned from competition for life
Iranian MMA fighter Ali Heibati kicked a Ring Girl's bottom during a match in Russia, leading to a lifetime suspension. He later posted an apology but received criticism for his actions.
An Iranian MMA fighter kicked a ring girl’s bottom during a match in Russia and was suspended for life, Walla Sports reported on Tuesday.
The fighter, Ali Heibati, participated in the fighting round of the leading Russian MMA association (HFC) against Arkady Ossifian in Moscow. After the two entered the ring, Heibati kicked the bottom of the ring girl, who announced the start of the first round. She got angry and turned to confront the Iranian fighter before the referee rushed to intervene.
Un luchador iraní de MMA, llamado Ali Heibati le dio una patada a una chica del ring, porque “se sintió ofendido por su vestimenta”, pero el público ruso le dio una paloterapia al bajarse del ring por agredir a la dama. ¿Apoyas el accionar del público contra el cobarde agresor? pic.twitter.com/U00nn9eT9l
— Eduardo Menoni (@eduardomenoni) April 22, 2024
The fight began, and Ossifian attacked Heibati vigorously, ultimately earning himself a technical victory within just half a minute. Despite the referee's intervention and the fact that the fight ended, the Iranian MMA fighter got on his feet and attacked Ossifian while he had his back facing Heibati.
Lifetime ban and apology
Heibati’s team members managed to restrain him, but later, he attempted to kick an event official. Heibati's behavior sparked heated reactions from the audience, and after he left the ring, some spectators who were close to him tried to kick him.
Following the match, the Iranian fighter posted a photo of himself alongside the ring Girl with an ambiguous apology: "Hello everyone, this is Maria. I was very tense before the fight, and inside the cage, I just wanted it to start. There was a lot of tension and emotions, and they caused me to kick her. I apologize to her. I am married, and I respect the female gender."
Local association managers were not impressed by this apology and announced that Heibati was banned from the competition for life. "Such behavior towards women is unacceptable. Physically harming women is the lowest act a man can do.
”Heibati's apologies are not enough; he will be fined, and the entire sum will go to the ring girl, Maria.”
Jerusalem Post Store
`; document.getElementById("linkPremium").innerHTML = cont; var divWithLink = document.getElementById("premium-link"); if (divWithLink !== null && divWithLink !== 'undefined') { divWithLink.style.border = "solid 1px #cb0f3e"; divWithLink.style.textAlign = "center"; divWithLink.style.marginBottom = "15px"; divWithLink.style.marginTop = "15px"; divWithLink.style.width = "100%"; divWithLink.style.backgroundColor = "#122952"; divWithLink.style.color = "#ffffff"; divWithLink.style.lineHeight = "1.5"; } } (function (v, i) { });