MMA fighter loses finger during bout as fans are asked to find it
Former Olympic wrestler Khetag Pliev lost his ring finger during a mixed martial arts bout on Thursday night.
The 37-year-old suffered the freak injury during a Cage Fury Fighting Championships event at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
Pliev – who represented Canada at the London 2012 Olympic Games – faced Devin Goodale at middleweight in the co-main event of CFFC 94, which was aired live on the UFC’s Fight Pass streaming service.
Goodale was declared the winner of the fight via second-round TKO after referee David Osaghae realised Pliev had lost his left ring finger.
According to leading mixed martial arts outlet Sherdog, the official method of victory was 'detached finger'.
One reporter present at the fight claimed the ring finger was "missing somewhere in the venue" after the fight ended.
“They just made a PA announcement at #CFFC94 that they are trying to locate a fighter’s missing finger,” wrote TSN's Aaron Bronsteter on Twitter.
“It evidently fell off into his glove during the bout and is missing somewhere in the venue.”
Meanwhile, the victorious Goodale admitted he "couldn't remember anything from the incident" after extending his record to four wins from four.
He added: “I got hit by something big, I don’t remember what happened. I’m just being honest. I don’t remember what happened. I’ll have to watch the tape myself, I don’t remember anything.”
Former WWE and UFC star CM Punk was on commentary for the fight and said: “I don’t understand exactly what happened.
“We’re not going to replay it for you, ladies and gentlemen, but it wasn’t a compound fracture. It wasn’t a dislocation, a break, a laceration.
"His finger was just gone. It’s gone. It fell off, ripped off.”
ESPN confirmed later on Thursday that Pliev's finger had been recovered and was re-attached during an operation at a nearby hospital.
CFFC president Rob Haydak said the finger had been lodged in Pliev's glove.
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