Andrej Kalašnik delivered in more ways than one at Oktagon 56, scoring a huge knockout before serenading the crowd with a Smiths classic.
In a testament to his palpable charisma and innate ability to execute a British deadpan sense of humour, the Czech Republic’s finest endeared himself to UK fans in the build-up to Saturday night’s blockbuster event at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham.
Confessing that he was terrified of his opponent’s, Liam Etebar’s, big muscles, the Oktagon icon gave the impression that the task ahead would be anything but easy.
Thus, when the warrior stormed to the cage to trance music while sporting a phenomenal pair of shades, the fans feared that his skilled adversary might have too much in the locker.
But in a moment of pure brilliance, Kalašnik landed a magnificent left hook to send his rival crashing towards the canvas. Smelling blood in the water, the Czech superstar dived on top of Etebar, landing a series of shots, forcing the referee to call a halt to the contest just 43 seconds into the very first round.
However, while his showing in the cage was undeniably remarkable, it was his vocals afterwards that really caught the crowd’s attention.
Andrej Kalašnik belts out a Smiths classic after Oktagon 56 victory
In a post-fight interview, most mixed martial artists offer their opinions on the bout. But not Kalašnik — it’s simply not in his nature.
Rather than speaking to Bryan Lacey, he opted instead to sing one of The Smiths’ most popular songs — There is a Light That Never Goes Out.
To the delight of the spectators, the amusing athlete belted out: “And if a double-decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die.”
Discussing his choice of track at the press conference, he told Sporf: “I’m a big fan of The Smiths. I thought about singing a trance song, but I changed to an old one. Liam was a good opponent—a big one. My tactic was to wrestle with him, but it was a big success for me because I didn’t listen to my corner. This is why I won.”
Kalašnik’s terrific performance earned him a €5000 bonus. And exhibiting his mental fortitude, the fighter even devised a way to turn the sum into €10,000.
‘AK-47’ laughed: “I’m a smart guy with my economic thinking, so I’m going to double my bonus at the hotel slot machine. I need to win more to feed my family. It’s great to be in the UK with new fans and people. Life is all about new things.”
Featured Image Credit: Oktagon MMA