"I've not seen that since Khabib jumped out of the cage, but I think he regrets it," former World champion Danny Green told News Corp.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona had height, weight and reach advantages over Paul Gallen, whom he knocked out late in the first round of their highly anticipated boxing fight.
After the victory, Asofa-Solomona charged into the crowd and tried to punch an attendee, but did not make contact.
At his post-fight press conference, he said a spectator had made an ape gesture: "I looked into the crowd and someone was doing an ape gesture,"
He described losing control after seeing the gesture and thinking something had been thrown at him: "I stood on the ropes and it looked like someone threw something at me and I just lost it."
"It was a mix of the adrenaline, but I don't tolerate that bullshit, and once I saw it, I just saw red."
He acknowledged his actions were wrong, while also condemning the gesture: "But what that guy did to me, in terms of that gesture, that's not on either."
He said he would act differently if given another chance: "But if I could have my time back, I wouldn't do that."