Kiefer Crosbie’s bravery may have been his undoing at UFC Fight Night 257.
In the opening bout on Saturday’s main card, Crosbie (10-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC) was finished by Taiyilake Nueraji (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) elbows at 3:33 of Round 1. The welterweight fight took place at Shanghai indoor stadium in Shanghai.
The finish was not without controversy, however. Just moments prior to Nueraji’s violence finish, Crosbie was blasted with an illegal knee that triggered a two-point deduction from referee Marc Goddard. Rather than take the disqualification or no contest, Crosbie elected to keep fighting. The finish came moments later when Nueraji smashed Crosbie on the canvas.
Nueraji, 24, wins his debut in under four minutes time and extends his current streak to six victories in a row. He’s never gone the distance.
Crosbie, 35, could find himself out of a UFC job after three-straight losses.
