WATCH: MMA bout ends prematurely for fighter’s refusal to brawl

Mukulu already had a point deducted earlier in the fight due to running. Ref had enough by R3. Bizarre ending at EFC 54 pic.twitter.com/KKjc8q7R27

— caposa (@GrabakaHitman) October 15, 2016

Mixed martial arts has gained massive following throughout the years and is heralded as one of the most exciting combat sports in the world today.

Not all fights, however, are created equal, as some bouts are so boring they make viewers switch channels.

In one of the most unusual scenarios in an MMA fight, a referee decided to halt an uneventful welterweight bout at EFC 54 in South Africa over the weekend, due to one of the fighter’s refusal to engage and brawl.

Instead of exchanging punches and kicks,  Bruno Mukulu oddly chose to run away from his opponent and was contented with peddling back around the cage for most of his fight against Henry Fadipe.

Prior to the unlikely disqualification, the referee had already taken a point away from Mukulu due to his lack of aggression and action.

By the third round, the referee had had enough of his frustrating tactics, ending the fight with over a minute left and granting Fadipe the victory.

Aside from effective striking and grappling offense and defense, MMA fights are judged for the amount of damage a fighter applies to his opponent and how little he gets in return.

Inactivity is also a huge factor when it comes to the judges’ scoring, as active fighters, more often than not, are likely to win decision victories.  Khristian Ibarrola/rga