'Great sportsmanship': UFC star praised for quick reaction after 'scary' moment following victory
Featherweight Makwan Amirkhani scored an impressive win over Danny Henry at UFC 251 with an anaconda choke but his reaction within seconds of his victory was perhaps more admirable.
After a cautious start to the fight, Amirkhani took Henry to the mat and locked up him up in a stunning submission finish.
But the fighter's quick thinking was heavily praised after he realised Henry wasn't moving after applying the hold.
Henry was out cold. ufc
Rather than get up and charge around the octagon in celebration, the Finn stayed by his unconscious rival, untangled his toes from the cage fence and elevated his legs in an attempt to help Henry back to consciousness.
The move was widely praised by pundits and fight fans.
Many fans called for Amirkhani to get the performance bonus for his win with it being the third first-round finish of his career.
He became only the third fighter in UFC history to finish multiple fights via anaconda choke.
"I'm pretty slick with this move," Amirkhani said. "John Kavanagh, my coach, he's always laughing at the gym when I do this to everybody.
"People come and ask how they can defend it, John says it's a never ending story. I'm just way too slick with this. There is no defense for this one.
"Everything went terribly wrong in my last fight. I got a new opportunity to show I belong here and what I'm about," he said after the fight.
"I feel amazing, like a reborn child. Victories are always nice, but in the first round is always sweeter.
"It's never nice when there's someone on top of you trying to hold you down. It makes you tired and slows you down. That was my plan."
