Fabricio Werdum will appeal his controversial TKO loss at PFL 3.
The former UFC champion made his promotional debut against Renan Ferreira on Thursday evening.
Werdum managed to get a takedown in the first round.
The BJJ specialist began working on submissions. He appeared to have locked up a triangle choke that forced Ferreira to tap out.
The submission went unnoticed by referee, Keith Peterson, who allowed the fight to continue.
Ferreira quickly turned the tide and began dropping bombs on Werdum from the top position.
This time the referee did step in to wave off the fight and declare Ferreira the winner by first round technical knockout.
Werdum took to social media after the fight to suggest that he loosened the grip on his choke after feeling his opponent tap out.
“I’ve been fighting for 23 years and one of the first things we learn when your opponent gives up we have to respect,” Werdum wrote.
According to ESPN journalist, Marc Raimondi, Werdum is set to appeal the loss.
“Fabricio Werdum has filed an appeal of tonight’s #pflmma result with the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, per his manager Ali Abdelaziz,” Raimondi wrote on social media. “PFL will send the NJSACB the footage where it appeared Renan Ferreira tapped for review.”
Do you think Fabricio Werdum will be successful with his appeal?