Alessio Di Chirico wants the media to treat winners and losers of the fight equally. The fighter recently left the UFC Fight Island 7 presser, citing this very reason.
Rising middleweight prospect Alessio Di Chirico made a perfect start to his 2021 fight campaign. At UFC Fight Island 7, the fighter registered a KO win over one of the breakout stars of 2020, Joaquin Buckley.
While his in-ring act impressed many fans and followers, his demeanor at the post-event press conference left many shocked. The 31-year-old refused to answer to the media, citing that he does not support the media’s biasness towards winners.
Also Read: GSP reveals he was expecting a call-out from Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254
Alessio Di Chirico explains why he abruptly left the UFC Fight Island 7 post-event press conference
A week after the event, in an interview with MMA Fighting, the fighter addressed questions regarding his behavior and clarified what went through his head and what propelled him to end the interaction early.
“After I almost cried, I was fully emotionally involved after the fight,” Di Chirico said. “So I declined the interview. It was a choice that I made at least two fights before this fight. There’s something in my mind, like an attitude in this business, that if you win you are the best person, the best athlete in the world, and if you lose you are trash. I think that this is going to change absolutely for us, for fighters.
“I know that if a fighter gets knocked out, he can’t interview, I know. But if the decision goes on the points in the cage, a close decision, I think a fighter would have the opportunity to speak, to be interviewed.”
Also Read: Marvin Vettori Vs. Darren Till Set To Headline UFC Fight Night On April 10
No Disrespect To Journalists
While Di Chirico may have annoyed some reporters present at the sight that day, however, he makes it known that it wasn’t his intention to disrespect the journalists. And with what he eventually did, he just wanted to convey what he feels right.
“I don’t want to disrespect journalists,” Di Chirico said. “I don’t want to disrespect your job, I only want to send this message to try and change things for fighters and to make it just a little bit better. And absolutely it wasn’t a polemic against the UFC.”
In the same post-event presser, Dana White also expressed that the fighter startled him with his cold reaction when he congratulated him. The Italian opens up on why he did not give a kind response to the president of the promotion.
“I was drained after the fight,” Di Chirico said. “I almost did not recognize him, so I ask him. ‘Sorry to him and Mick Maynard.’ It was a crazy reaction after the win.”
“MMA is a sport,” Di Chirico said. “Sometimes it is confused with show, sometimes with pro wrestling, but MMA is a sport. It’s changed my life and all people need to understand this. I hope one day it will go to the Olympics.”
Click Here For More UFC News
