Matt Mitrione is adamant that his issues with his mouthpiece during his Bellator 225 clash with Sergei Kharitonov did not lead to his second-round knockout loss to the Russian in their rematch on Saturday night in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The heavyweight lost his mouthpiece on several occasions throughout the contest, including seconds before the final exchange in which Kharotonov dropped him with an uppercut before finishing him with grounded strikes.
Many took to social media to underline their belief that Mitrione’s defeat was due to him being distracted by the ill-fitting gum-shield, but Mitrione disagrees.