Ion Cutelaba was rendered furious when the referee dived in to call a halt to the action in his first fight with Magomed Ankalaev.
On February 29, 2020, the Moldovan went head-to-head with the Russian MMA star, at the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
However, the contest didn’t go as he’d have liked, with the stoppage leaving a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.
The result changed the trajectories of their careers, with Cutelaba struggling to cut it at the top of the sport, while Ankalaev has now bagged a world title shot against Alex Pereira.
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Ion Cutelaba was controversially stopped during Magomed Ankalaev first fight
Ion Cutelaba intended to make a statement in his showdown with Magomed Ankalaev. However, the opportunity was quickly taken away from him.
After taking three head kicks and a left hook, ‘The Hulk’ appeared to wobble.
This prompted Kevin MacDonald to dive in, just as Cutelaba was throwing a haymaker at his opponent, indicating that he still had something left in the tank.
The furious athlete pushed the referee away as he passionately protested the stoppage.
Understanding his frustrations, Michael Bisping, who was commentating, asserted: ‘He was wobbling, but he was still in the fight.”
‘The Count’ later suggested that he may have even been playing possum.
Of course, there had to be a rematch. But this time, the result was more definitive, with Cutelaba being dropped heavily before being left unconscious via brutal ground and pound.
Where did Ion Cutelaba end up after his loss to Magomed Ankalaev?
While Ankalaev is branding Pereira a ‘Fake humble boy’ ahead of their monster title clash, Cutelaba doesn’t look anywhere near a shot at the belt.
Since his rivalry with the Russian came to an end, the 31-year-old has been on a rocky road. While picking up a draw and a win in his two subsequent bouts, he then ended up on a three-fight losing skid.
After that, Cutelaba picked up two more victories, with another defeat sandwiched between.
With his last fight ending in his hand being raised, the warrior has a surge of momentum going into his bout with Ibo Aslan at UFC Seattle on Saturday night.