Diego Brandao was on a roll since leaving the UFC, scoring a pair of exciting finishes under the Fight Nights Global banner. But Monday, suffered his first post-UFC loss in controversial fashion.
Brandao fought Akhmet Aliev in the main event of FNG 73 in Kaspiysk, Dagestan. At the 3:34 mark of the second round, the referee stopped the action when Aliev headbutted the Brazilian’s chest, and Brandao responded with an illegal upkick to Aliev’s neck as the referee was separating them.
The crowd erupted and bottles were thrown into the cage. “Please stay and fight,” the referee told Brandao, but the Brazilian jumped over the cage and out.