Diego Brandao is no stranger to controversy and his latest MMA bout at Fights Global 73 in Dagestan had plenty of it.
The former TUF Season 14 winner and ex-UFC fighter got off to a good start in his fight with Akhmed Aliev in the main event of the card, having dropped his opponent in the opening round, but in the second he found himself being controlled on the mat.
Then things took a turn for the bizarre.
It’s not clear exactly what triggered the crazy scenes, but it appeared that Brandao may have attempted to bite his opponent, which led to Aliev retaliating by headbutting the Brazilian in the chest.
The referee then intervened, but Aliev still unleashed a series of ground and pound punches, which resulted in Brandao responding with an illegal upkick.
The two fighters then got back up and Brandao then decided he’d had enough and vaulted the cage to leave as the crowd started throwing trash.
Brandao was eventually convinced to come back, but his decision to leave the cage resulted in Aliev being awarded a TKO victory by way of retirement.
The result brought an end to a two-fight winning streak for Brandao in the Fight Nights promotion, where he’s been plying his trade since he was released from the UFC back in 2016 due to being involved in an aggravated assault incident at a strip club in Alberquerque.
