BKFC 81 has picked up some serious steam in Manchester. After some thrilling preliminary bouts (Free Fights), the main card started with an awesome clash between Benjamin Lowe and Mikey Henderson. And as expected, it was a scrap that the audience in the AO Arena on their feet more than once. However, there was a moment in the fight, which had everyone going – “What happened there?”

From the first bell, Henderson and Lowe wanted to show everyone that they weren’t there to play. They began swinging huge punches at each other, hoping to score a knockout. But it was becoming quite clear that Henderson was more precise with his shots. After the first round ended, where they both threw a total of 343 punches, the next round was filled with anticipation. Yet what came next truly shocked the crowd.

With less than 30 seconds remaining in the 2nd round, Henderson cracked his opponent with a brutal overhand, sending Lowe to the canvas. The referee immediately started counting, but Lowe wasn’t out. Badly hurt, he wanted to get up! However, he shocked everyone by reaching his hand out to the referee for help. Of course, the referee stepped back and let Lowe come to his senses, and five rounds later, Henderson picked up the win.

However, that knockdown brings back a question that has been asked many times before: how much is athlete safety being compromised in this situation?  

Benjamin Lowe’s BKFC 81 knockdown raises questions about fighters’ safety 

Although a warrior like Benjamin Lowe definitely had the strength and grit to fight through that knockdown and continue, for a significant amount of time, he was clearly rocked, which is why he reached for the referee’s arm to get up. Now, imagine if he got repeatedly knocked down. Yes, the referee might have stopped the fight after a couple, but it still could have caused some detrimental effects. Don’t believe it? Listen to what UFC legend Daniel Cormier has to say.

On the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, ‘DC’ said, “People always kinda scoff at me when I say boxing is more dangerous than MMA. ‘Oh, how could you say that when they’re only boxing and they can’t jump on you when you hit on the ground when you fall.’ I said I would argue with you that that’s safer than you knocking me out bang. My body, which is trained my whole life to get up, gets up. They count to 8 or 9, and they say go fight more when I’m still concussed.”

Well, the former two-division champion definitely makes a point here. Lowe might have survived because he’s still new to the game. However, if concussions like that build over time, they could end up diminishing his ability to absorb shots. And especially in a violent sport like BKFC, safety measures should always be the first priority.

With that being said, do you think BKFC should adopt the UFC way of stopping fights? Or should the counting system remain? Let us know in the comments section below.