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“I think Jorge is the one who got robbed on that stoppage, because I think it stopped Jorge from getting the opportunity from getting the finish.”
Fight fans were treated to a great slugfest earlier this month between welterweight scrappers Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz at UFC 244, but the MMA community can’t help but wonder ‘what if’ had Diaz been allowed to continue into the fourth round.
The fight ended controversially after the ringside doctor declared Diaz medically unfit to continue due to the cuts on the right side of his face, and fans were left outraged.
Masvidal won the ‘BMF’ title via third-round doctor stoppage, but American Top Team (ATT) owner Dan Lambert believes ‘Gamebred’ was robbed of the opportunity to KO Diaz in the championship rounds.
Speaking to LowKickMMA’s Jon Fuentes in a recent interview, Lambert said he believes Masvidal could have gone on to potentially finish Diaz had the doctor not stopped the fight.
“I mean, as a fan, I would’ve liked to have seen it go longer just like anybody would have,” Lambert said. “I think Jorge is the one who got robbed on that stoppage, because I think it stopped Jorge from getting the opportunity from getting the finish.
“Jorge wanted to finish the fight. I know Nate is a beast and he wasn’t ever going to quit, but I don’t think that fight was turning anytime soon in a fourth or fifth, sixth or seventh, or 90th round. I think Jorge was going to keep doing what Jorge did until that fight was over.”
Although Masvidal didn’t get the knockout Lambert was hoping for, the ex-street fighter left no doubt as to who was the better fighter on fight night. Masvidal, a former bareknuckle fighter from the streets of Miami, Florida, battered Diaz from pillar-to-post and rightfully earned his BMF title by thrashing one of the toughest fighters in the world. The 35-year-old is on a three-fight win streak and is expected to take on the winner of the upcoming welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington at UFC 245.