UFC Employee Rips Chinese Flag From Li Jingliang Following Victory Over Muslim Salikhov
Following his second-round victory over Muslim Salikhov in last night’s UFC Long Island fight card, Li Jingliang had his Chinese flag snatched from him by a UFC employee.
The Chinese native returned to the Octagon for the first time since his fight with Khamzat Chimaev last October, which saw Jingliang submitted in the first round. Prior to that, “The Leech” picked up one of the most significant wins to date when finishing Santiago Ponzinibbio in round one.
Li Jingliang found himself back in the win column on Saturday by attaining his eighth UFC finish by stopping Muslim Salikov in the second round. However, there was some controversy following the victory, which left fans unhappy. Fueled with adrenaline, Jingliang marched around the Octagon with his Chinese flag draped over his shoulders, beaming with pride.
Watch UFC Employee Rip Chinese Flag From Li Jingliang
In a matter of moments, an official UFC employee approached Lingliang, grabbing the flag from him. The 34-year-old protested and attempted to reclaim the flag but was unsuccessful. The promotion issued a ban for every fighter on the roster earlier in the year on any country’s flag being present in the Octagon, with no real indication why.
At the UFC 274 post-fight press conference, the question was asked about why the flag ban was carried out, and UFC President Dana White kept it short and sweet:
“You guys know why,” Dana said, “Let’s not even play that f**king game.”
What do you make about the fighters not being able to represent their native country’s flag?
