The MMA community is excited about a viral video from the crowd at UFC Tampa this past weekend.
As Michael Johnson’s knockout of Ottman Azaitar in their lightweight showdown got fans on their feet, eagle-eyed fans watching the broadcast at home spotted an interaction as the camera crew recorded the crowd’s reactions.
After Johnson landed the right hand that stunned his German counterpart in Round 2 at Amalie Arena, the Florida fans started chanting “USA” in support of the veteran fighter.
But as the camera panned through the audience, it looked like a child was choking while his father watched the replay on the jumbotron. The boy gagged as he patted his chest and neck, trying to get his guardian’s attention.
The adult man next to him appeared to be holding a bag of popcorn as his undivided attention remained focused on the signature knockout that had just occurred.
After Happy Punch posted the clip, which has been viewed more than 3.4 million times, fans responded with mixed reactions.
UFC fans saw a child seemingly choke to death in the crowd at UFC Tampa last weekend
The incident happened after Michael Johnson scored a stunning knockout over Ottman Azaitar
Some fans reacted comically, noting that the father had other “priorities” during the event.
‘The child needs to learn some respect and patience! Your dad doesn’t pay all that money to complain after a great event,” one user joked.
‘That’s a very devoted father. His son should learn from his example and do better than trying to distract from Johnson’s ridiculous KO,” another added.
‘Bro set priorities. I think he’s going to have problems at home,” a third added.
Others expressed concern for the child, with one user writing: ‘Wow, how could a dad miss that.’
Another wrote: ‘WTF. Was this a medical emergency?! When was this?!”
Meanwhile, another group of fans insisted the boy knew about the cameras and staged the incident, with one user suggesting that ‘Bro was 100% faking it.’
“Bro, in this day and age I wouldn’t be surprised if he was faking it,” wrote another.
“The kid was looking at the camera lmao,” a third commented.
UFC Tampa was the promotion’s final card until 2024. The ESPN fight night drew 18,625 fans to the $3.06 million gated venue.
The UFC’s year-end finals featured six decisions and seven knockout finishes.