When Erick Silva stopped his opponent, Carlo Prater, in just 29 seconds at UFC 142, many thought he was going to be awarded the knockout victory. Instead, referee Mario Yamasaki disqualified the 27-year-old for landing a punch to the back of the head of his opponent, giving Prater the win.
“I felt very strong blows in the region of my neck and my right shoulder,” Prater told SportTV.com. “I felt very painful shocks. I was trying to overthrow Erick on the floor, out of instinct, but I could not because it was the worst physical pain I’ve ever had in my entire life.
“I think in the end I was made out as a villain,” he continued. “I had to stay in the hospital until Monday. They asked me not to go public because, indeed, that wouldn’t do any good for me or Erick. In my opinion, Mario did the right thing. You are not allowed to do anything you want inside the cage. Watching the fight video, I could see at least nine blows to the back of the head.”
UFC commentator Joe Rogan was criticized by some for taking the side of Silva and asking Yamasaki if he thought he had made the right decision. After the event, Rogan posted on the underground forums to explain why he thought it was necessary to ask the referee about the decision. He also posted a .gif of the fight’s final moments on his Twitter.
“I think the way Joe Rogan behaved was completely unethical,” Prater said. “He went with the crowd. A real professional doesn’t do that. He was acting like a fan when he should be acting as a commentator.
“Mario is a million time more competent than him. Hes been living off this for 20 years. Joe Rogan is just a swagger, someone who walks amongst fighters but isn’t really a fighter himself. He doesn’t understand. Whatever, human beings make mistakes and I am not going to be holding grudges against him.”
UFC president Dana White awarded Silva his win bonus despite the a loss, which was the first of Silva’s UFC career. His overall record is 13-2 with seven submission victories and a first-round knockout victory over Luis Ramos from UFC 134. Prater’s record stands at 29-10-1. He also recently entered his 10th year as a professional.
In an attempt to turn the fight into a “No Contest,” Silva’s camp called for a review of the fight. UFC’s vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner decided not to overturn the decision, leaving the fight a disqualification victory for Prater.
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