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Before a fight against Arkady Osipyan in Moscow on April 19 for the Hard Fighting Championship (HFC), Heibati suddenly kicked a ring girl named Maria when she was walking by him and holding up a sign to start the first round.
Maria turned around and looked surprised at Heibati's action. She then approached the Iranian fighter to question him. The referee had to intervene and warn Heibati about his behavior.
The fight went ahead and Osipyan won with a technical knockout with 30 seconds to go in the first round.
As the referee was leading Osipyan to the corner afterward, Heibati stood up and attacked him from behind. Many people immediately entered the octagon to separate the two fighters while waiting for the official verdict.
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A screenshot of Ali Heibati kicking ring girl Maria before the HFC fight against Arkady Osipyan on April 19, 2024. |
Tension continued to erupt in the interview that followed. Heibati seemed annoyed with the comments and launched a kick at a male commentator while arguing with him.
When Heibati left the octagon, he was attacked by a group of fans. Some people even used chairs to hit him.
Heibati took to social media to apologize to Maria.
"I was very nervous and, as most people understand, my escalating emotions before the fight made me act inappropriately with Maria," Heibati wrote. "I want to publicly apologize to her. I have a family so I respect women very much."
Nevertheless, HFC banned Heibati from participating in the tournament for life. HFC announced that Heibati's actions exceeded ethical standards and would transfer all of his prize money to Maria.
Heibati previously competed in boxing and kickboxing. According to Tapology, the fight with Osipyan was his first professional MMA fight.
A video of Heibati's controversial act during the fight
