ACA founder Mairbek Khasiev vowed that the fighters won’t get paid
© Twitter / @mmamania © Twitter
Two ACA fighters were disqualified by the MMA promotion’s founder Mairbek Khasiev after putting on a fight he deemed too boring.
Later on, Khasiev vowed that neither Ali Bagov nor Rashid Magomedov will get paid for their evening’s work.
The two fighters met in the quarterfinals of a Grand Prix. For four rounds, however, they stood off each other and relented from trying to cause their rival any damage.
Ahead of the fifth round, an angry Khasiev got into the octagon and called the action off himself much to the confusion of the referee – who had also encouraged the men to be more active – and the fighters, as fans whistled.
In the aftermath, Khasiev accused the two men of putting on a fight that was “100% agreed between the participants” and promised that they would not be paid.
The ACA founder Mairbek Khasiev just disqualified Ali Bagov and Rashid Magomedov for being too boring. 😵MMA continues to be wild. pic.twitter.com/5NvW5tDV8I
— MMA mania (@mmamania) July 22, 2022
“Such things cannot be done, and this will not work with us,” Khasiev stated. “They will definitely not participate in the Grand Prix, but we will decide on their further presence in the promotion.
“This is already our right – the contract was concluded, we did not violate it. And if so, then we have all the rights to dictate the terms,” Khasiev added.
Khasiev threw out suggestions from Bagov’s brother that Bagov would have finished the fight in the fifth round.
“If only,” Khasiev said. “I don’t need to hear what could have happened in the fifth round.”
“You have to act at the right time. I am sure that this hit in the top ten [of the rankings] on our part will continue to be repulsive to everyone,” he claimed.
Cutting off a question about apparent threats that Bagov has made to leave the promotion if he doesn’t get paid, Khasiev butted in and said: “For God’s sake, all the best.”
“We will not pay a fee [to the fighters],” he guaranteed.
“People came to see a good fight, we [paid] serious expenses, and in fact we were fooled. These are their problems. We do not hold a single fighter, the doors are open both for entry and exit.”
Furthermore, Khasiev also takes full responsibility for his rash actions which could be a first in MMA or certainly a very rare occurrence.
“I make 99% of the decisions because I am responsible. Even if the decision is wrong, then I won’t say that it’s someone else’s fault.
“I take responsibility and will continue to do so. Let them say what they want. As long as they don’t get offended,” he finished on this.
