'Oh my god': MMA world erupts over 'disturbing' illegal knockout

MMA fans and commentators have been left stunned by a shocking illegal knockout which saw Shawn West disqualified at LFA 84.

West was in action against former UFC fighter Boston Salmon on Friday when he knocked his opponent to the canvas with a heavy right hand.

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With Salmon on one knee on the canvas, West then delivered a devastating knee to the head that knocked his opponent unconscious.

West then celebrated what he thought was a clean knockout, however the referee was forced to disqualify him because Salmon was ‘grounded’ at the time the knee came.

Under most MMA rules, fighters cannot be kicked or kneed when they’re on the canvas.

A fighter is deemed to be grounded when they have any part of their body (other than one hand and the soles of the feet) touching the floor.

Fans and commentators were quick to condemn West.

“It doesn’t get more illegal and vicious than this,” Ariel Helwani wrote on Twitter.

Sean Sheehan wrote: “This is hard to watch. What a rough athletic endeavour MMA is. My god. Hope he is ok.”

While Jon Anik simply wrote: “OMG.”

UFC champ Volkanovski ready for Holloway

Meanwhile, Australia's UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski is preparing for more aggression, variety and a faster starting Max Holloway when he makes his first title defence on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

The rematch of the bout Volkanovski won on points in Las Vegas last December is scheduled for Sunday (AEST) on Yas Island.

Favourite Volkanovski's defence is one of three title bouts to feature in UFC 251, which is hosted on Fight Island for the first time.

Volkanovski broke down Holloway with a strong striking game in Las Vegas, smashing the American's legs with a massive amount of damaging kicks, especially in the first three rounds.

The champion and his head trainer both expect Holloway to try something different on Sunday, without straying too far from the techniques that have made him such a formidable fighter.

“At the beginning (of the fight) he might try and change a few things and we are expecting that,” Volkanovski's head trainer Joe Lopez told AAP.

“He's probably going to be kicking a bit more and going to come out a little bit more aggressive.

“He was a little bit more patient in the first fight, so we are expecting him to put on a bit of pace, and probably kick and use some knees to mix things up.

“When Alex kicks him, he's probably going to try and punch him back, he's probably been practising that," Lopez said.

“If he gets leg kicked he's probably going to try and throw his right hand, but we've been working on that.”

In other title fights, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is up against late replacement Jorge Masvidal while Petr Yan and Jose Aldo square off for the vacant bantamweight strap.

with AAP