Watch: Frustrated Casey O'Neill flips off Houston crowd for booing her after beating Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 271
Casey O'Neill defeated Roxanne Modafferi in her UFC 271 fight via split decision in Houston, Texas.
'The Happy Warrior' lost the competitive fight to O'Neill in her retirement fight. The judges scored the bout 29-28, 28-29, and 28-29.
However, the Houston crowd did not receive the decision well and started booing O'Neill. The flyweight prospect responded to the harsh reaction by flipping off the crowd.
In the post-fight interview, a fired-up O'Neill also said:
"Hey, stop booing me...if you want me to be the f***ing bad guy, then f**k you, I'll be the f***ing bad guy."
Watch the video from UFC 271 below:
"If you want me to be the bad guy, then I'll be the bad guy!"
🏴 @KingCaseyMMA is FIRED UP after that performance! #UFC271 https://t.co/G9mhtYjPP6
In the first round, O'Neill landed crisper and cleaner shots on Modafferi. However, the retiring fighter also had her moments.
The second and third rounds saw O'Neill calmly edging forward in terms of striking, despite Modafferi securing a takedown at the end of the second round.
The split decision was awarded to Casey O'Neill, who now moves to 9-0 in her MMA career.
#UFC271 results: Casey O'Neill (@KingCaseyMMA) def. Roxanne Modafferi via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Play-by-play and results: bit.ly/3oIH5fa https://t.co/6JD0RWnaON
Roxanne Modafferi says she chose to retire to avoid brain damage
Roxanne Modafferi's 18-year fighting career came to an end at UFC 271. The 39-year-old wrapped up her time in MMA with a 25-20 record.
Some fans thought Modafferi's decision to retire was a bit premature. However, she revealed the reason for hanging her gloves in a recent interview with MMA Fighting.
She addressed concerns regarding her body not reacting the same way it did before. Modafferi added that retiring was her best option.
She said:
“There were multiple reasons, which is why I feel comfortable making this decision. One was that I feel like I used to wake up at 4 a.m. full of energy...Now I’m waking up at six like, I don’t really want to go Mortal Kombat at 10 a.m. Like, my body just doesn’t feel like it. Also, I feel like, in training, after a hard sparring session I started getting headaches, and I don’t want to go down that path of brain trauma. I think I’ve been lucky to have 49 fights and not have brain trauma..."
There aren't many true OGs left in MMA. Roxanne Modafferi is exactly that. Tonight #UFC271 is her last ride. Some words on "The Happy Warrior" and a 20-year journey that has meant so much to so many. mmafighting.com/2022/2/8/22922… https://t.co/dxG1ReCtho