(Eh…Overeem did it better.)
Judging by the comments section on our TUF 17 Finale Aftermath, the majority of you felt that Travis Browne’s victory over Gabriel Gonzaga should have an asterisk next to it. Early in the fight, Gonzaga pressed Browne against the cage looking for a takedown. Browne unleashed a series of elbows to Gonzaga’s head that knocked him out just one minute and eleven seconds into the first round and earned Browne the Knockout of the Night bonus. However, as many fans have pointed out, it appeared that the elbows that ended the fight hit Gabriel Gonzaga directly in the back of the head.
Shortly after the fight, Gabriel Gonzaga’s manager, Marco Alvan, took to his Facebook page to inform fans that he would be appealing the outcome. Via Facebook:
Guys Gabriel Gonzaga is ok, thanks for the messages.
I need to review it to count how many illegal elbows but Its a fact that it was illegal.
I contacted Keith Kizer head of Nevada Athletic Comission and he told me to file a complaint and he would review it.
I true believe it was illegal. I never complaint about a losses who knows me know that I handle it good but illegal we can not accept.
In a follow-up post, Alvan also expressed his interest in setting up a rematch against Travis Browne:
This video is clear about the elbow [Author Note: This appears to be a video of the fourth and fifth elbows landed].
I very hope the commission look it carefully and make a correct decision about it. We respect Travis and his camp but it was a sad night. We hope this result can be fixed and get a new fight between them.
I don’t know who post it but thanks to clarify for all of us!
If you watch the ending again, you’ll see that the first two elbows landed cleanly to the side of Gonzaga’s head. The elbow that put Gonzaga out was possibly illegal, and the last three elbows clearly hit the back of the head. However, since Gonzaga was already out when they landed, they didn’t potentially affect the outcome of the fight. The NSAC’s ruling on the third elbow will more than likely decide the outcome of this case.
In the meantime, what do you think happened? Should Gonzaga get a rematch against Browne, or was he already out by the time he was hit in the back of the head?