Although many personalities claim mixed martial arts to be safer than boxing, there’s always a chance of a fighter getting severely injured or suffering serious medical issues. A similar thing may have happened in a fight that took place recently under the Oktagon MMA banner, and guess what? The medical team’s response was so slow that it triggered the wrath of the fans on social media.

As big as Dana White‘s UFC is around the world in 2025, the European circuit is mostly dominated by Oktagon MMA. Established in 2016, the promotion has been steadily growing on the continent, just like Cage Warriors, and is now worth around $270 million. However, the promotion is not immune to making mistakes, and that’s exactly what happened in a recent fight.

Two MMA fighters who were not named were fighting when one of them kicked the other in the head hard. The boxer who got hit dropped flat on the mat, and the referee stopped the fight right after that. What has caused the issue, though, is that the medical staff, who were at cageside, took their time getting inside the cage to help the boxer, who seemed really hurt.

While many fans love to see great knockouts and finishes, they equally worry about the safety of the fighters. Understandably, the community appeared really angry with the MMA promotion for how it handled the situation. Here’s what the fans had to say on X.

Oktagon MMA comes under fire for delayed assistance to KO’d fighter

First and foremost, the fans noticed how long the knocked-out fighter lay there on the mat for almost half a minute. As one fan said, “He was dead for 20 seconds,” another took issue with the Oktagon MMA medical team, who appeared pretty nonchalant while approaching the injured fighter. “20 seconds is a crazy wait time,” that fan said with great concern for the fighter. Well, the fans were not ready to cut the medical team some slack after their grave mistake.

In MMA, the medical team is always expected to act faster because delays can prove not only serious but also fatal. The UFC, ONE Championship, and even the PFL have shown such negligence, as the safety of the fighters is paramount. As such, fans were clearly not pleased with Oktagon MMA’s medical team falling short of the procedure. Another fan commented in that regard, unable to comprehend why the medical team’s attitude was as it was when the fighter got knocked out. “Why was medical soooooooo slow?!!!!

Meanwhile, some fans wondered if there was some conspiracy at play. Perhaps the medical team placed a wager to see the fighter lose, as one fan wondered, “Did they have money on the fight?” On the other hand, some fans believe it was the referee’s mistake, as a couple of them commented, “The medics were trying to get in earlier, but the ref stopped them for the cold a– pic,” and, “Wtf is that idiot referee doing?” However, some fans suggest that taking the legal route will be the best course of action for the fighter who got KO’d, as an Instagram user strongly suggested, “Sue them.”

Instances like this in MMA are rare, and for the Oktagon MMA fighter, the good news is there are no reports of severe injury. What’s your take on the medical team’s delayed response? Share your thoughts in the comments below.