MIXED MATERIAL ARTS fans were shocked to discover one of the most bizarre mismatches at a UK show in September.
Evolution of Combat 9 saw Aron Lee, a promising fighter, against Craig Wood (who was a replacement on a very short notice).
Craig Wood and Aron Lee clashed last September. But their fight went viral last weekend because of the clear mismatch
The young Wood, who is 21 years old, was dwarfed by a stocky, hulking Lee. He made quick work of him and took him out in seconds.
After photos of the contest began going viral on Twitter, footage of the mismatch was found.
After seeing the skill and size differences between the opponents, MMA fans around the world chimed in.
One replied, "How can this be allowed?" Guy isn’t in good shape. What the heck is that?
Another person said, "Only seen this on my timeline. Who in the f**k permitted this to happen?"
Another said, "Who the heck thought that this was a good idea?"
One commented, "[The] bigger man is content with himself for knocking out [the] little boy."
Harry Williams, a journalist in MMA, said about the match-up that: "Can we please discover who allowed this fight? There are journeymen, I'm sure, but there is a line.
Brendan Loughnane, a former UFC featherweight and current PFL champion, said that it was a joke. He probably only got PS200 if lucky.
After footage and photos of the fight went online, EoC released a statement stating that the bout 'doesn't represent the values of the promotion'.
It stated: "We are aware that the footage and one image were used in a fight on EoC9.
"We wanted to make it clear that this matchup does NOT represent the EoC values.
"We try to match as evenly as possible the bouts, as many great encounters have been shown on 10 different EoC programs.
"This particular show saw many last-minute changes. There were also staff shortages.
"Sometimes, using journeymen is all that's needed to make a show go on. We are grateful for their help and are just as grateful for other promotions.
"This replacement was made with less than 24 hours notice. The name that was used on all run sheets and other paperwork was the one given by EOC the night before. The Icelandic amateur was able to still show.
"We regret that this matchup occurred with such a large discrepancy. We would not have made the same decision if we had looked back.
"We can nevertheless say that two consenting men stepped into the Octagon to compete, and both walked away healthy.
"Since the event, we have run another event with a completely different outlook and aim to maintain high standards every time we do so."
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