A Dala Fighting Championship bout in Kazakhstan was marred by poor officiating when referee Baurzhan Zhumanov failed to stop the fight despite Abhilash Raut going limp from a Von Flue choke by Zhuman Zhumabekov, though Raut fortunately recovered and participated in the post-fight proceedings.
Terrible officiating overshadowed a submission finish in Kazakhstan last weekend.
During a Dala Fighting Championship event in Astana on Saturday, Kazakh bantamweight Zhuman Zhumabekov executed a powerful slam. He locked in a Von Flue choke, seemingly sealing the fight halfway through the opening round.
His opponent, Abhilash Raut, went limp with his eyes rolling back. However, referee Baurzhan Zhumanov failed to stop the bout at that moment. Incredibly, Zhumanov seemed unaware of Raut’s condition and urged Zhumabekov to continue working on the ground. This left it up to Zhumabekov to release the hold, allowing the ref to assess the situation.
Check out the unsettling clip below.
Zhumabekov, showing concern, quickly tended to Raut after the finish. Thankfully, Raut managed to stand on his own and participated in the post-fight activities. He even raised Zhumabekov’s hand and embraced him.
Catch the entire fight and aftermath in the video below.