LONDON – When you cover this crazy sport of MMA, you see a lot of crazy things. But we may have seen a first at Bellator 223 on Saturday night.
The lightweight preliminary fight between U.K.-based Brazilian Jorge Kanella and London’s own Alfie Davis saw the local prospect extend his impressive record to 12-3 with a unanimous-decision victory.
Davis (12-3 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) and Kanella (8-8 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) went toe to toe, but one toe in particular brought a temporary halt to the proceedings in the final round when Kanella, frustrated at Davis’ defense from his back, aimed a low front kick at an area we don’t usually see targeted during fights – the anus.
At first, it looked like it might have been a standard groin shot, but replays showed otherwise, as Kanella’s toe appeared to catch Davis behind his cup, leaving him in obvious – and understandable – discomfort.
Eagle-eyed referee Kevin MacDonald spotted the foul immediately and halted the action as the crowd – and the MMA Junkie team situated at cageside – saw the super slo-mo replay and gasped accordingly.
MacDonald then deducted a point from Kanella and, after a brief moment for Davis to recompose himself, the bout continued to a conclusion with the Brit earning scores of 29-27 on all three cards to claim the 12th win of his promising MMA career.
It’s the first time we can remember a point being deducted for a toe in the orifice, and we caught up with Davis backstage as he revealed the toe shot connected with what he called “the gooch.”
“It was like, the bum, right at the bottom of the balls,” Davis said. “If you’re standing up with someone on the floor, you do not go straight line like that. You’re never taught that because it’s a foul. … It slid up. So when I stood up, it was right in the gooch. It’s normally pleasurable for a man, isn’t it? The gooch. We all enjoy the gooch, but not when you’re getting kicked straight in it.”
Despite the uncomfortable moment, Davis was happy enough with the win and re-stated his weigh-in declaration that he would become the Bellator lightweight champion within the next two years.
For complete coverage of Bellator 223, check out the MMA events section of the site.
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