Winning MMA fighter taps out to prevent himself from hospitalising opponent

"I have never seen anything like that" says sportscaster

Pantangco elects to lose the fight rather than injure Rasner (AXS TV/YouTube)

Amateur MMA fighter Mike Pantangco showed an incredible display of sportsmanship when he tapped out against opponent Jeremy Rasner, whom he was easily defeating, to stop him from getting hurt.

Pantangco was "delivering a beating" as the AXS TV sportscasters put it during a Prison City Fight league match, when he suddenly backed off, squatted down and tapped out on the mat.

Explaining the reasoning behind it, he said:"I just feel that there's no point fighting him because he didn't train against me and I didn't train for him and I just feel like we're amateur fighters, we don't get money, we don't get paid.

"And I know that the only thing I'm going to finish the fight is him to go in the hospital or get hurt. I just feel terrible so I'm just going to give him the win." (sic)

Rasner was declared the winner by TKO (retirement), but held Pantangco's arm aloft to show the true victor.

"I have never seen that," one of the sportscasters' commented. "What awesome sportsmanship that was."