Icko brutally on Janičić's debacle: "He gave up the fight out of spite!"

Miloš Janičić's loss to Frenchman Noe Gunjon in his UFC debut continues to reverberate through the regional MMA scene. As the reasons for the unexpected stoppage are being analyzed, Ivan Đorđević Icko, the coach of Janičić's great rival Marko Bojković, has also weighed in. In a lengthy Instagram post, Icko provided a detailed breakdown of the fight, spoke about the weight of their rivalry, and shared his thoughts on the nature of the sport.

"He got all the demons that haunted us"

Đorđević reflected on the history of clashes between his fighter and Janičić, recalling the fight in Belgrade that completely changed the dynamics of their careers. "After Bojković lost to Janičić, I said, if anyone remembers, if not, go watch the interview again, we lost everything, he won everything, but he must know that he also got all the demons that haunted us," Icko wrote.

He explained how difficult it was to move on after that loss and the amount of negativity that followed them. "We fought to move forward and to get him out of our heads, because that was the only way we could continue, and somehow we managed. And it was really hard, because after everything, we were left with so much hatred that it took strength to fight through it all, and in the end, we managed to move on."

What particularly bothered him was that Janičić kept mentioning them even after making a huge leap in his career. "He, who had moved so far ahead of us, reached the UFC, who no longer had to mention us ever again, because he had no reason to, since he had taken away every argument we had, he didn't stop mentioning us right up until he stepped into the UFC cage," Đorđević added.

He didn't celebrate the loss: "Rejoicing in someone else's defeat is the wrong path"

When directly asked if he celebrated Janičić's loss, Icko was clear. "First and foremost, I only celebrate my fighters' wins, so the fact that some f***ing Frenchman took the win home and strutted around the whole Arena like he'd beaten the UFC champion over five rounds doesn't really satisfy me, because that certainly doesn't make us any better in any way," he said.

He stressed that there's no benefit in gloating. "I have no reason to revel in it, let that be clear, even though I know Janičić celebrated every loss of ours and always wanted us to lose. That's a stupid story; you only benefit when you beat someone yourself. Rejoicing in someone else's defeat is the wrong path."

Key mistake: "It's like he gave up the fight out of spite"

Đorđević then gave his take on the fight itself, pointing out that Janičić seemed out of focus and had underestimated his opponent. "I think Janičić was totally out of focus; I get the impression he really underestimated his opponent and already saw himself cruising to another easy win. To be honest, I also expected Janičić to win, but not easily, because realistically, this isn't a naive opponent, even though he's far less experienced," he analyzed.

In his opinion, everything fell apart from the first strike he took. "Watch the fight closely; you'll see that Janičić lost feeling in his foot from the very first low kick. That's not an injury; it's a nerve being hit, and you simply lose control over your foot." He believes that's when he should have tactically changed his approach, but under pressure, he made a crucial mistake.

"Probably influenced by the crowd and the home turf, not wanting to look like he was retreating or avoiding the fight, he makes a key mistake, throws the hardest possible middle kick and hits the opponent's block with a foot he can't feel," Icko explained, adding his final diagnosis: "However, here it seems to me like he gave up the fight out of some anger, spite over what was happening, because honestly, it's not realistic that the Frenchman is so much better than him that he finishes him that easily and quickly."

"He still has three fights; just keep going"

Despite the harsh analysis, Đorđević ended with a message of support, emphasizing that one loss doesn't define a career. "There's no story here; it's the same for everyone. Today you're here, tomorrow you're not, and what can you do? Just keep going. You have to understand that one fight, no matter the outcome, doesn't define a fighter's career at all... Janičić still has three fights in the UFC, he's 29 years old, he'll have opportunities, and he'll continue on his path."

He concluded with optimism for his recovery. "I'm also sure he's not seriously injured and doesn't need a long break, so the fight goes on. Now, that division is absolute hell; this was an ideal opportunity, but sometimes it just doesn't happen..." concluded Ivan Đorđević Icko.