Brazilian UFC fans are known for their unmatched passion. Whenever their favorite fighters win, the crowd showers them with cheers. But on the flipside, things can get a little heated when their fighters lose. For instance, former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno was pelted with bottles after defeating Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 301. Many suspected something similar might happen at UFC Rio as well. While it didn’t reach that level of intensity, a heated back-and-forth between a fighter and the crowd definitely took place.  

On the main card, Australia’s Kaan Ofli defeated Ricardo Ramos in just 3:02 of the first round via rear-naked choke submission. As a result, the crowd didn’t take it well, as boos echoed through the Farmasi Arena. However, Ofli didn’t let the reaction slide and fired back during his Octagon interview, telling the crowd to “shut up.” It turns out he might have said even more, but a fine from Dana White was likely what held him back. 

Kaan Ofli wanted to swear at the Brazilian audience even more after UFC Rio victory  

At the UFC Rio post-fight press conference, the Aussie fighter said, “In one of my last sparring sessions, I did this. I visualized making the crowd quiet. I obviously didn’t make the crowd quit. They have never given me a chance to talk. But we knew that we were in enemy territory. I knew what I was coming here for. So, I was prepared for it all.  My fight name is Genghis. I go to different places and conquer the land, and that’s what I did tonight. If the UFC staff didn’t tell me that you get a fine for swearing, I would have sworn a lot. But I actually tried to contain myself.” 

As of now, the UFC hasn’t fined anyone for swearing inside the octagon. However, the promotion does reserve the right to fine a fighter for using “abusive or insulting language” during or after a fight, as stated in its rules. Due to that, Kaan Ofli couldn’t fully replicate the infamous moment from UFC Fight Night 119, when Colby Covington brutally lambasted the Brazilian crowd after defeating legend Demian Maia. 

Still, as the interview went on, Ofli revealed that despite the boos he received inside the Farmasi Arena, his overall experience in Brazil wasn’t bad at all. So, now that we’ve covered the negatives, let’s take a look at the positives the Aussie had to say about the country. 

The Australian fighter’s overall experience wasn’t bad in Brazil 

Although the crowd reactions and the fighters’ responses to them can sometimes get a little extreme, it’s important to recognize that Brazil is home to some of the sport’s most iconic champions, like Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, and José Aldo. With legends like these representing the nation, respect naturally follows whenever a fighter visits the country. And while that respect might not always show inside the arena, it certainly does outside of it. 

Ofli added in his interview, “I actually have a lot of love for Brazil, honestly, like. Like, put tonight aside, this week I was actually very surprised by the love and the support that I was getting from strangers at the hotel. Kids coming up to me, families coming up to me. I was actually surprised by all that. And it’s a beautiful city, and I love Rio. But yeah, honestly, I just beat your guy, so it is what it is.”  

Well, although some fights didn’t go Brazil’s way at the Fight Night event, most of the country’s MMA stars performed impressively. In both headliners, Charles Oliveira dominated Mateusz Gamrot, while Deiveson Figueiredo defeated Montel Jackson and later called out Merab Dvalishvili. Overall, the Rio event turned out to be a success for the fans.

Now, both the winners and losers will look to continue their journeys and build on their performances. That said, what did you think of the UFC Rio event? Did it live up to your expectations? Let us know in the comments below.