headbutt

(Animated gif courtesy of Fightlinker.)

From Fighters Only Magazine:

Phil Baroni says he will not be pressing charges after being subjected to a cowardly assault by an associate of his defeated opponent Scott Jansen at Saturday night’s Cage Rage event.

“These things happen.” Said Baroni. “It must be tough to see a loved one get knocked out like that. Emotions ran high. I want to put this behind me.”

Baroni, who was making his welterweight debut, knocked Jansen out in the first round of their fight.

As medical staff surrounded Jansen, Baroni approached to check on his condition and was unexpectedly headbutted by Jansen’s associate, who then immediately fled the ring. Insult was added to injury when Jansen’s girlfriend launched into a foul-mouthed tirade against Baroni. But Baroni stayed calm and made no attempt to exact retribution for the assault — although his cornerman Mark Coleman was reportedly eager to do so.

The incident was broadcast live and once again calls into question Cage Rage’s policy of allowing friends and family into the cage after fights.

Cage Rage co-promoter Dave O’Donnell says that action has already been taken following the incident and that the organisation “has issued a ban on a member of Scott’s family attending future fights.”

Previously: Baroni Wins WW Debut, Gets Headbutted by Asshole

(Props: FightOpinion)

Phil Baroni's first match as a welterweight was a resounding success, as the New York Badass dominated Scott Jansen to a first-round knockout victory at Cage Rage 27 last night in London. Unexpectedly, Baroni quickly got the fight to the ground, scoring a smooth double-leg takedown shortly after the bell and effortlessly controlling Jansen from the top. After an armlock attempt didn't pan out, Baroni moved to full mount, but both men were quickly ordered to their feet by the ref. Baroni then reverted back to his bread and butter, turning out Jansen's lights with a perfect right hook; Baroni returned after the stoppage to shake the hand of his still-sleeping opponent.

About thirty seconds later, Baroni made the mistake of going back again to check on Jansen, and one of Jansen's cornermen responded by headbutting him — or "nutting" him, as the commentators colorfully put it. ("Wot'a dizgrace.") The headbutter conveniently disappeared after the confrontation, while Baroni scored big-time respect points for not chasing him down and tearing his dumb ass apart. Video of the fight and post-fight assault is above; the questionable ref standup is at 3:36, the knockout punch is at 3:58, and the headbutt is at 4:45. Baroni competes next at Icon Sport: Hard Times (August 2, Honolulu), where he'll face 3-5 Jesus Is Lord jobber Ron Verdadero.

In other action at Cage Rage 27, Neil Grove defeated Robert Berry in their rematch, stopping "Buzz" via strikes in the second round, while Mustapha Al Turk scored a first-round ground-and-pound TKO over James McSweeney to win the Cage Rage British heavyweight title. Full results are after the jump.