"Next time brother" - UFC champ Dricus du Plessis, fans hail Bokang Masunyane's gutsy stand against Mansur Malachiev
Number two-ranked strawweight MMA contender Bokang Masunyane received a tough unanimous decision defeat at the hands of number five-rated divisional contender Mansur Malachiev in their pivotal match from the recently concluded ONE Fight Night 25 card, which took place inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Following that loss, which snapped his two-fight win streak, Masunyane recently posted two photos from the fight on his Instagram. Part of the caption he wrote read:
"While I am disappointed with the outcome of the fight, I recognize that it could have gone in either direction. Congratulations to my opponent, @mansur_malachiev_uf on your victory.👏"
Despite this setback, 'Little Giant' received massive support from fans, including the reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis,, a fellow South African MMA fighter.
They expressed their encouragement to Masunyane with their comments:
"Good fight next time brother"
"Class act @littlegiant_bk You'll get you belt soon! 💪"
"Head up high bk the title run isn't over 👑👑"
"I though you won. Had him hurt in that first round more than once. You're a great warrior."
"Don't worry bro, we are even more proud of you , your story is the one to be recognise in all sporting world 🌎 worldwide. There's always a next time champ ❤️🔥"
"You fought well dude, it's the fight game."
Bokang Masunyane says that he accepts the decision from the judges in giving the nod to Mansur Malchiev
In the same post, the 30-year-old admitted that he wanted to leave the judges out of deciding the outcome of his fight with the Russian contender, but his effort wasn't enough to get him the win.
Despite the disappointment from his end, the Coach Quan University representative has accepted the decision and acknowledged that it is part of the fighting game, as he wrote:
"I took a calculated risk in an effort to avoid leaving the decision to the judges, and I understand that such outcomes can occur in this sport... I appreciate the support from everyone, and I look forward to returning stronger soon. 🇿🇦🙏💪"
North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch all the action from ONE Fight Night 25 via the free event replay.