The Danish MMA Federation has overturned Khusein Askhabov's first-round TKO victory over Reinaldo Ekson to a disqualification following a review of the lightweight co-main event at Airtox Dominance FC 8 on Oct. 17 in Copenhagen. The federation ruled that Askhabov's actions during a timeout over an eye poke constituted a serious violation of the Unified Rules of MMA. Askhabov and his cornermen were hit with a 12-month suspension from all DMMAF-sanctioned events and activities. Ekson called the decision fair.
The Danish MMA Federation has reversed the result of Khusein Askhabov's win over Reinaldo Ekson, converting a first-round TKO victory into a disqualification loss, as first reported by MMA Fighting. The ruling follows a review of the lightweight co-main event at Airtox Dominance FC 8 on Oct. 17 in Copenhagen.
According to the federation, Askhabov's conduct during a timeout called for an eye poke amounted to a serious violation of the Unified Rules of MMA. Askhabov and his cornermen were each handed a 12-month suspension from all DMMAF-sanctioned events and activities. Ekson called the decision fair.
Askhabov, 31, represents the United Arab Emirates and trains with American Top Team. Nicknamed "Nohcho," he entered the card with a 23-1-0 record before the result was overturned. The orthodox fighter stands five-foot-eight (173 cm) with a 69-inch (175 cm) reach. His career numbers show a striker's profile: 2.0 significant strikes landed per minute at 26 percent accuracy, with no takedown or submission attempts recorded per 15 minutes.
His most recent recorded fight before the Copenhagen bout was a unanimous decision loss to Jamall Emmers at UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Blanchfield on Feb. 18, 2023. That defeat is the only blemish on his record. The disqualification now changes how the Copenhagen bout will be counted, though the federation's ruling concerns the result and the suspensions rather than any change to his earlier history.
Why it matters
- The suspension covers Askhabov and his cornermen, extending the penalty beyond the fighter to his entire team for a full year.
- A TKO-to-DQ reversal is a rare outcome, showing that a post-fight review can overturn a stoppage when a timeout is involved.
- The federation's ruling is limited to DMMAF-sanctioned events and activities, which is the scope of the 12-month ban.
The decision turns on what happened after an accidental foul, not on the fight itself. Under the Unified Rules, a fighter hit by an eye poke can be given time to recover, and the federation found Askhabov's behavior during that pause crossed the line into a serious violation. Ekson's public acceptance of the outcome closes off any suggestion of a dispute between the two camps over the ruling.
