‘Hilarious’: Pros react to Cédric Doumbé losing first fight in freaky fashion

Cédric Doumbé — and every single combat sports fan in France, most likely — won’t be forgetting his first loss anytime soon.

In an ending that was the definition of bizarre, the former GLORY Kickboxing champion suffered his first MMA defeat at the hands (figuratively speaking) of Baysangur Chamsoudinov in the main event of PFL Europe, which took place in front of a rabid crowd at Accor Arena in Paris.

The welterweights abruptly stopped fighting when Doumbé complained of an injury to his toe, which appeared to be the result of a splinter or thin piece of debris. Referee Marc Goddard had already warned Doumbé to continue fighting, so when the action was paused again, Goddard waved the bout off, making “Baki” the winner via TKO in the third round.

Fighters watching the scene were shocked, befuddled, and even amused by the confusing finish, with UFC featherweight Sodiq Yusuff tweeting that “a splinter may be the most hilarious way for a MMA fight to end.”

See more social media reactions from fighters below.