UFC veteran Khusein Askhabov's win overturned to DQ loss, banned 12 months in Denmark

The Danish MMA Federation (DMMAF) on Monday changed Khusein Askhabov's win over Reinaldo Ekson Oliveira at Airtox Dominance FC 8.0 to a disqualification loss. The federation said in a statement that Askhabov tried to attack Ekson during a timeout in their October 17 fight. He and his corner team are suspended from all DMMAF-sanctioned events for 12 months.

The lightweight bout had originally gone to Askhabov by doctor stoppage in the first round, at 4:15 according to Sherdog.

What the federation found

The referee had called a timeout over a suspected eye poke. During it, the DMMAF said, Askhabov acted aggressively and tried to get at his opponent even after the referee stepped in. The referee had to physically restrain him, and members of his corner tried to enter the cage until event security intervened.

The federation ruled that conduct broke the Unified Rules and warranted disqualification. The ban covers Askhabov and his corner in any role, but only at DMMAF-sanctioned events, not worldwide. The federation also admitted in its statement that its first call was wrong:

"DMMAF acknowledges that the original decision was incorrect"

It said it will review its procedures and support for officials, without listing changes or a timeline. The statement mentions no appeal process.

How it fell apart

It was the co-main event at a sold-out K.B. Hallen in Frederiksberg, Danish outlet presse-fotos.dk reported. The first pause came after an apparently accidental strike to the back of Ekson's head. After the restart, Ekson said he had been poked in the eye, and the doctor checked him.

Askhabov then tried to push referee Thor Sandberg aside to reach Ekson, the outlet reported. His team rushed the cage until promoter Mark O. Madsen's security held them back. Sandberg ruled the eye contact came from gloved knuckles, not a finger, so no foul was called. The DMMAF's ruling rests on the timeout conduct, not the eye contact.

Ekson fights out of Pitbull Brothers, according to Sherdog, and Patricio "Pitbull" Freire went public before the ruling. MMA Sucka reported his social media post on October 21:

"How do you allow all the fouls, back of the head shots, eye poke, attack during the time out, and you give Askhabov the win?"

On Monday, Ekson replied under the federation's Instagram post: "Khusein, you were yelling at me and I yelled back," according to MiddleEasy. He thanked the DMMAF, the outlet reported. He also alleged that Askhabov missed weight, scratched his eye with a thumb, and that threats from his team forced a hotel change. The federation's statement addresses none of those claims.

MMA News reported a response from Askhabov, but we could not open that report to confirm what he said.

We think the reversal is the right outcome. By the federation's own findings, Askhabov tried to attack Ekson while the referee had stopped the action. A fighter who does that shouldn't keep the win.

A UFC run that never got going

Askhabov is now 24-2 on Sherdog. He reached the UFC unbeaten and debuted against Jamall Emmers on February 18, 2023, after a three-year layoff. He closed as the favourite at −165, about 60%, and lost a unanimous decision (our fight page). It remains his only UFC fight.

In September 2023 he and his twin brother were arrested in Thailand over the robbery of an Italian man. The UFC pulled him from an October 7 bout with Daniel Pineda, saying it would "allow the legal process to play out". He was charged, but the charges against both brothers were later dropped, Cageside Press reported.

In 2024 he received a two-year ban from Combat Sports Anti-Doping after a sample tested positive for methandienone metabolites, according to Sherdog. He returned with a first-round guillotine win at VFN 48 in December 2025. Ekson, a 37-year-old Brazilian, is now 20-8.

What comes next

The statement gives no end date. Counted from Monday's ruling, the ban would run to late October 2027. Askhabov had asked for an Airtox Dominance title shot next, presse-fotos.dk reported, but Madsen was waiting on the federation. No next fight is announced for either man.