After two intergender fights in Poland went viral last week, another bout of the same nature has resurfaced from November 2020.
There has been much controversy surrounding the decision to pit men and women against one another, and last week’s contests, which were featured on the MMA-VIP3 card, have caused a stir among the combat sports community.
Fighter Ula Siekacz made headlines over the weekend after she was badly beaten by Piotr ‘Mua Boy’ Lisowski, who secured a brutal second-round TKO.
Siekacz, an arm wrestler and fitness instructor, has since spoken out after her defeat.
“Hi guys, I’m back alive and we go on,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I’m not going to get slapped by a guy anymore. I consciously took up this fight – that is, I knew what I was [doing].
“I am waiting for some interesting suggestions and I will continue to develop. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
The Mixed Martial Arts Federation also released a statement condemning the event.
“Media coverage has brought our attention to an inter-sex MMA bout that took place in Poland over the weekend," the statement read.
"Although neither the promoter nor competitors have any association with IMMAF, as the international governing body for amateur mixed martial arts, I feel it is important that I state our position.
"IMMAF categorically disagrees with this intentionally scandalous form of entertainment, which does not represent the sport of MMA or its values and puts women at risk.
"It is unacceptable that women and men should compete against each other in combat sports, essentially for reasons of safety but also fair play, and we in no way endorse this.”
Now, footage has re-emerged of another intergender bout that took place in Russia last year. Professional MMA fighter Darina Madzyuk took on YouTuber Grigory Chistyakov in an exhibition contest and it’s safe to say it didn’t end well for the amateur.
Chistyakov weighed in at 529 pounds –– almost 400 pounds more than Madzyuk, who came in at 139 pounds. The YouTuber initially tried to smother his opponent with bear hugs but was soon overpowered by the far more accomplished striking skills of Madzyuk.
A strong right-hand from the MMA fighter floored Chistyakov and the contest was waved off moments later.
After footage of the contest was shared on social media, some MMA experts criticised the fight and stressed that type of bout had no place in the sport.
UFC referee Marc Goddard said: “This is what we are dealing with in 2020.
"This is what we are fighting against as the parallels and negative connotations are continually drawn.
"To outsiders and detractors, this is MMA. Shameful. Sickening. Abysmal."