Watch: UFC official snatches away the Chinese flag from Li Jingliang after his victory at UFC Long Island

Watch: UFC official snatches away the Chinese flag from Li Jingliang after his victory at UFC Long Island

Li Jingliang with Chinese flag

Li Jingliang suffered a devastating loss against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 267, he got manhandled by Khamzat, and he was looking for a fight to bounce back from this loss.

Salikhov is an immensely decorated combat athlete, having 199 kickboxing fights to his name, an Olympic gold medal, and a Master of Sport honor in his home country of Russia. He was on a 5 fight win streak, but Li came out strong and stopped his opponent in the 2nd round to get back in the win column.

Even though he put up an impressive performance, there was something else that caught the attention of the fans. After the win, Li got back to his corner, and he was trying to carry the Chinese flag inside the octagon, but a UFC official stopped him from doing so and snatched the flag away from him. Li was confused after the incident, but he got to the octagon without his flag and celebrated his victory.

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Related – Li Jingliang secures a sensational knockout over Muslim Salikhov at UFC Long Island

Li Jingliang had to celebrate without his country’s flag because of UFC’s regulations

Li Jingliang
Li Jingliang

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the UFC banned athletes from carrying their country’s flags inside the octagon. Many athletes from all around the world came in support of Ukraine after this war started, and it looks like the UFC is trying its best to steer away from picking up any unnecessary attention.

Dana White was asked to comment on the situation, but he concluded the conversation by saying, “You guys know why (we banned this) Let’s not even play that f**king game.” Fans caught the glimpse of a UFC official snatching the Chinese flag away from Li, and many were furious over this decision.

YouTube video

Many athletes claimed it isn’t fair to ban everyone from carrying their flags, but at the end, the decision lies in the hands of the UFC management, and it looks like we wont see anyone carrying their nation’s pride for a long time to come.

Also read – “Let’s not play that game”- Dana White confirms the news of UFC putting a ban on fighters carrying their country’s flag inside the octagon

Also read – Watch: Li Jingliang jumps the que to have a word with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273