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Even some of the most seasoned MMA journalists in the world were shocked and dismayed over the weekend after video of a fight began circulating around social media showing a grounded fighter being brutally knocked out by his opponent with an illegal knee.
Shawn West was disqualified for the brutal blow he delivered to former UFC fighter Boston Salmon on Friday night at LFA 8 in South Dakota.
You can watch the stunning video below.
Salmon Awarded Victory Over West via Disqualification
Former UFC fighter Salmon was in the fight of his life at LFA 84 on Friday night.
Salmon eventually won the contest against West though he was awarded the stunning victory via disqualification as he lay motionless on the canvas.
The two men were competing in a 150-pound catchweight bout before the disturbing strike dropped Salmon to the mat and gave him the win.
In the second round, West hurt Salmon with a hard right hand. Salmon went down to his knee, and his opponent sprinted toward him in order to run his knee right into the grounded fighter’s head.
According to MMA rules in 2020, that’s a blatantly illegal move.
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UFC’s Jon Anik: ‘OMG’
As the video made its way around social media the following day, top MMA journalists such as Ariel Helwani expressed dismay over the incident.
“It doesn’t get more illegal and vicious than this,” Ariel Helwani said via Twitter. “Man.”
UFC host Jon Anik also couldn’t believe what he saw in the video.
“OMG,” Anik posted.
Keep in mind that these two guys have witnessed more MMA fights than just about everyone else possible over the last ten years or so.
Knee Never Should Have Happened
Maybe worst of all though?
The blatantly illegal move is one that’s been outlawed for some time now in the sport.
Sure, MMA bouts in South Dakota still operate under an older ruleset than the current unified rules used in UFC fights.
Regardless, both rulesets say that the knee West used on Salmon was the wrong move because the fighter’s knee was on the mat.
That made him a “grounded opponent” and off-limits for such a horrendous knee.
But West ran full force at his opponent and cracked him with it anyway.
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