“I don’t think it was a wise move” - ONE CEO believes Gantumur Bayanduuren should have just tapped

Fans of grappling are divided on whether Gantumur Bayanduuren should have tapped in his valiant, albeit unsuccessful, world title shot against Mikey Musumeci.

While some applauded his resilience and how that portrayed Mongolian culture, others believed he should have played the long game and saved his leg from more permanent damage.

One such critic was ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong, who recently spoke with the South China Morning Post about the match. Here’s his opinion on Gantumur Bayanduuren’s performance:

"You know I’ve torn my ACL or MCL from rolling or from Muay Thai but to let all of your ligaments tear that’s just crazy. You know your knee, the ligaments are obviously, there’s muscle to hold your knee into place right? All those things are torn and your meniscus which is the rubbery thing that keeps the bones from colliding right? I mean all of it is ripped off like. I don’t know if you saw that photo, he has a full leg cast. Like a full leg."

To summarize, Chatri stated,

"I don’t think it was a wise move for him to not tap."

Bayanduuren feels pain the same as anyone, but the override that he must have to trust his willpower over pain commands some respect.

Gantumur Bayanduuren is a Mongolian sambo specialist who has also fought in MMA, both in Mongolia and in the US. The 26 year-old tore his ACL, MCL, meniscus, and suffered a broken ankle from the leg lock attempts of Musumeci.

Despite the loss, Gantumur Bayanduuren has a bright future in the sport, and fans will certainly be interested to see what’s next for him… however long it takes to heal and return to competition.

Mikey Musumeci wishes Gantumur Bayanduuren would have saved his leg and tapped

The ONE Championship CEO is not the only person to wish the bout would have transpired differently. Mikey Musumeci also weighed in with his thoughts on Gantumur Bayanduuren, wishing there would have been better judgment.

Speaking to the media at the ONE Fight Night 6 post-fight press conference, the ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion said this:

"I've broken a lot of legs but then now that leg exploded, I didn't know what to do and it's just disgusting and gross. I really wish he tapped. The result didn't change and now he's in the hospital. So I don't know. But what a warrior he is for showing his will."

He’s right that the result would have been the same, and perhaps fans would get to see Bayanduuren compete again a bit sooner.

Musumeci is now looking for his next challenger after dominating the Bayanduuren fight, beginning to build a history of title defenses in ONE Championship.