The fight took place 10 days after Amiaz posted a video challenging Zionists to face him in “Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine.”
By Shula Rosen
Israeli mixed martial artist Shimon Smotritsky defeated Israeli-born anti-Zionist influencer Ido Amiaz in about 40 seconds after accepting Amiaz’s public challenge to fight a Zionist in Tel Aviv.
Amiaz, also known as “the Salukie,” was knocked down three times before the referee stopped the boxing match and declared a technical knockout.
The fight took place 10 days after Amiaz posted a video challenging Zionists to face him in “Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine.”
Amiaz, who documents his pro-Palestinian activism in the West Bank and describes himself as a journalist in Palestine, said he issued the challenge after receiving daily threats from people in Israel who wanted to fight him.
“So, this is an open invitation. Write me a DM, and we meet here in Tel Aviv. I’m waiting. B***h,” Amiaz said.
Smotritsky, a professional MMA fighter, accepted on Instagram on August 9, one day after Amiaz issued the challenge.
Smotritsky later told The Jerusalem Post that he immediately viewed the challenge as an opportunity to confront Amiaz over his anti-Israel statements.
“This guy is always spreading lies about Israel, about IDF soldiers, about all the heroes that are protecting us,” he said. “So, I knew I needed to make him quiet and teach him a lesson.”
Amiaz initially complained that he had intended to fight “normal Zios” rather than a professional, saying Israeli MMA fighters had responded to his invitation. He nevertheless agreed to go ahead with the match and subsequently posted videos showing his training and joking about potentially needing facial reconstruction surgery.
Israeli anti-Zionist academic Amir Hetsroni accompanied Amiaz to the fight.
After Smotritsky scored his third knockdown and the referee ended the bout, he said Amiaz had earned his respect simply by appearing.
“Saluki challenged a Zionist fighter, and he showed up. For that alone, I respect you,” Smotritsky said. “I don’t agree with your views at all, and I think you’re a troll, but at the end of the day, you wanted this, and you got it.”
Smotritsky later described the match as “easy work for me,” adding, “I hope I beat some Zionism into this guy.”
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