Are back of the head shots illegal in MMA? Fans "disappointed" in Cody Brundage after UFC Denver fight against Abdul Alhassan ends in no-contest

Fans recently expressed their thoughts on Cody Brundage following a disappointing conclusion to his UFC Denver clash against Abdul Alhassan. The event took place at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on July 13. This marked the promotion's return to Denver for the first time since 2018.

Brundage took on Alhassan in a middleweight bout to kick off the main card. The American came into the match having lost by submission in the second round at UFC 300 against Bo Nickal. The latter had also just lost by submission in the second round to Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night 229. Unfortunately, an illegal head shot caused their match to conclude in a no-contest.

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Are back-of-the-head shots illegal in UFC?

Back-of-the-head shots are indeed prohibited in the UFC. While it is permissible to kick or knee an opponent in the head while standing, it is forbidden to do so to a grounded opponent.

In the UFC, knees to the head of a grounded opponent are a common maneuver that frequently results in warnings, point deductions, or disqualification.

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Fan reactions to Cody Brundage vs. Abdul Alhassan ending in no contest

Fans were disappointed when Cody Brundage's bout versus Abdul Alhassan at UFC Denver ended just 37 seconds into the first round. Their fight ended in a no-contest due to illegal hits to Brundage's head.

Check out the post below:

Fans soon rushed to the comments section to share their reactions.

One fan wrote:

''Bro took the easy way out again''

Another fan stated:

''Brundage… disappointed in you, dude. Took the easy way out.''

Other fans wrote:

''Brundage should just stop fighting if he just quits every damn time''

''Something always happens when Cody fights''

Check out more reactions below:

Screenshot of fan reactions to UFC's post on X