The Brazilian fans expressed their displeasure with the outcome of a particular fight at UFC Rio, leading to a memorable, if controversial, moment.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Brazil for a 12-bout event, featuring a highly anticipated main event between beloved former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira and Mateusz Gamrot.
The undercard delivered several exciting finishes. Notable moments included former UFC title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz suffering a third-round TKO loss after being caught by a head kick. Additionally, Vitor Petrino, visibly fatigued, secured a late TKO victory by knocking out his opponent, Thomas Petersen.
On the main card, `Genghis` Kaan Ofli achieved a significant upset, defeating a submission specialist in his own domain and subsequently confronting the dissatisfied crowd with a defiant post-fight message.
Kaan Ofli Confronts Unhappy UFC Rio Crowd After Upset Victory
After starting his UFC career with two consecutive losses, Ofli was matched against seasoned UFC veteran Ricardo Ramos. Ramos nearly ended the fight early in the first round with a heel hook attempt, but Ofli demonstrated resilience, escaping the dangerous submission.
Ofli persevered, eventually gaining control of Ramos`s back while standing. He then secured a dominant “backpack” position and executed a rear-naked choke, forcing the Brazilian to tap out in front of his home crowd just three minutes into the fight.
Following his triumphant submission, Ofli was met with a chorus of boos from the audience. In his post-fight interview, he defiantly told the crowd to “shut up.”
“Hey, shut up,” Ofli stated into the microphone. “Shut up. I’m talking. Hey, look. I just wanna say Brazil. Hey, Brazil. I love you guys. Give me a second. Give me a second. Listen, I just wanna dedicate this to my family. Isa, Mariam, I love you guys. I’ll be home soon with the cash, baby. Let’s go. Look, if there’s anyone that’s prepared for adversity, it’s me,” Ofli remarked, reflecting on Ramos`s early submission attempt.
He continued, “I knew I just had to keep attacking and I knew I’ll get the finish. Round one, round two, round three, I knew it was gonna come sooner or later. Man, I really wanna swear at you guys,” Ofli added, referencing the persistent boos from the Brazilian spectators. The full interview was broadcast live, capturing his raw emotion.
Kaan Ofli`s Journey: From Homelessness to the UFC Octagon
Long before his breakthrough first UFC win, Australia`s Kaan Ofli endured a period of profound hardship, including homelessness.
“From living in our car to living in a church and government housing, public housing—we struggled to go to school because we couldn’t afford to go to school,” Ofli revealed about his challenging upbringing during an appearance on The Ultimate Fighter 32.
Discussing his past struggles with Bloody Elbow, Ofli stated, “It is my life and it is my story. If I don’t tell my story then I’m going to be telling everyone a fake narrative. But I’ve now expressed that and I don’t feel like I need to talk about it any more because the story is that I’ve overcome this.”
He elaborated on his motivation: “It’s more so something for people to look at and be like ‘wow, someone that’s gone through so many difficulties in life can still achieve something’. You can still do something amazing with your life and not end up on the wrong path. So, I wanted to talk about because I want to inspire people. But I don’t need to keep talking about it because I want to start talking about the cool s*** I’m doing,” Ofli concluded prior to his landmark UFC victory, eager to shift focus to his future successes.
