YouTubeA so-called ‘Shaolin Monk’ MMA fighter has amazed audiences after taking a series of knock-out worthy punches with the calm disposition of… Well, a monk.
Shaolin Yi Long, a 30-year-old MMA-trained fighter got into the ring with his opponent, New Zealand’s Brad Riddell, but seemed to have an out-of-body experience when he was subjected to a series of brutal hooks.
Riddell delivered a number of unanswered punches to Long’s chin, just moments after Long inexplicably dropped his hands to his side.
YouTubeRe-emerged footage, which captured the fight, shows Long in a good position having initially delivered a strong kick to Riddell’s back.
As Long looks dazed, Riddell recovered and took the chance to grasp victory from the self-described monk by landing seven punches in a row.
Despite Long seeming unhurt and totally unaffected by the onslaught, Riddell was later dubbed the unanimous winner of the bout.
YouTubeHowever, Long’s dramatic MMA narrative came to a swift end when a spokesperson from the Shaolin Temple confirmed the fighter had no discernible connection to the spiritual movement.
The statement issued read:
Yi Long, who was billed as the No. 1 Shaolin Kung Fu monk, is neither a Kung Fu monk of Shaolin Temple, nor could he be named as the No. 1 Shaolin Kung Fu monk at all.
You can watch the self-styled ‘Monk’ fight Riddell in the clip below, courtesy of Combat TV:
It seems Long’s tendency to invite punishment in the ring is not next to Godliness at all.
Mind you, that doesn’t mean his strength and resistance to pain isn’t unbelievably impressive.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.