Pantangco (right) gives up the fight to spare his opponent. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube
A curious scene marked the Prison City Fight League amateur MMA event, held last Saturday (17) in the city of Jackson, Michigan (United States). Mike Pantangco easily outperformed his opponent, Jeremy Rasner, until he suddenly decided to give the “three taps” and give up the fight for no apparent reason.
Afterwards, Pantangco justified his attitude: he wanted to spare Rasner's physical integrity, since the fight referee did not take any initiative. The fighter gave an explanation through the Facebook:
“I'm an amateur fighter and I don't get paid [to fight]. The guy who fought was a replacement for another guy who gave up at the last minute. And Jeremy is a friend from our gym and he offered to give me a fight. I apologize to anyone who thinks I made a mistake or disrespected you. I know what I did and I'm upset, but we are amateur fighters. If I continued, I would have hurt him much more, perhaps causing serious injuries that would prevent him from doing what he loves. Maybe he will become one of the best fighters in the world, who knows? Think about it, guys. I don't care if my amateur record has a defeat. Big deal!” wrote Pantangco.
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