UFC President Dana White is getting sick of MMA referees messing up and ‘stealing great fights from both the fighters and fans.’
What would a UFC event be without at least one controversial fight ending call by a referee? Unfortunately last weekends UFC London fit the bill.
The blown stoppage came on the main card as the United Kingdom’s Danny Roberts verbally submitted to Brazil’s Claudio Silva. The stoppage was definitely questionable as referee Kevin Sataki stepped in to stop the fight just as Roberts looked to be free on any danger (watch below courtesy of Twitter).
A WILD FINISH!
Make it 1⃣3⃣ straight victories for Cláudio Silva!
Tune in now
https://t.co/7gsc6RQiv8 #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/CkP4kiNidy
— UFC (@ufc) March 16, 2019
Sataki later explained his thought process. In his opinion, Robert’s grunt constituted a verbal submission.
”When the ref stopped that, I was already out of that armbar,” Roberts said after the loss. “I had already transitioned to the other side, and I was OK. Yeah, I made noise, I might have grunted, it hurt. But, I was ready to come out and carry on to the bitter end and the end of the third round. We had him finished, I wasn’t done. I’m just gutted that it stopped when it did.”
White wholeheartedly agreed with Roberts as he later posted this on Instagram:
”Kills me when these refs F**K UP and steal such a great fight and opportunity from the not just the fighters but the fans!!!!!” White wrote. “@danhotchocolate SO SORRY!!!!!”
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