‘Ref trying to kill a man’: Fans left in shock as MMA fight in Russia ends with troubling submission after just 35 seconds (VIDEO)

A Russian MMA fighter needed just 35 seconds to inflict a brutal submission on his opponent – but alarmed viewers questioned why the referee had not stopped it sooner after the loser clearly appeared to lose consciousness.

Lightweight punisher Oleg Manzhuev destroyed Sherzod Ismoilov in Saint Petersburg, pinning him to the floor as the Uzbek fighter's limbs seemed to go limp in an evident sign that he was in no state to continue.

The attentive official at the MMA Series 31 event seemed unperturbed by Ismoilov appearing clean out, prolonging the fight for a worryingly long period before Ismoilov lay prone on the floor while his opponent wheeled off to celebrate.

"The guy was out for like 12 seconds and still getting the life squeezed out of him," observed one concerned viewer, while another asked: Jesus – what was the ref waiting for? To visibly see a soul rising from the body?"

Manzhuev returned from only the second defeat of his 11-fight career, earning a first submission win in spectacular style.

Ismoilov's only previous defeat in his five professional fights had also been by submission, although he had always gone beyond the opening three minutes of fights.

"Looked like he went out like 10 seconds before the ref stepped in," said another critic of the adjudicator, echoed by a fan who suggested: "Checked the arm four times and it was limp all four times."