Controversial stoppages and mixed martial arts (MMA) go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Nassourdine Imavov scored a huge but controversial win last night (Sat., June 8, 2024) when he stopped former Middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier in the main event of UFC Louisville from inside KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky (watch highlights).
In the fourth round, Imavov caught Cannonier with a counter right hand that really hurt the former title challenger and had him bouncing around the cage on wobbly legs. While Cannonier wasn’t defending himself intelligently, he still had his wits about him, but that wasn’t enough for referee Jason Herzog, who had seen enough and abruptly stopped the main event.
A few hours after the fight, Herzog responded to someone on Twitter about the stoppage.
I get it,” Herzog wrote. “I know what I was seeing in the moment, but I’ve gotten enough feedback telling me I need to reevaluate, so I will.”
I get it. I know what I was seeing in the moment, but I’ve gotten enough feedback telling me I need to reevaluate, so I will. https://t.co/YwbIg9Mbdh
— Jason Herzog (@JasonHerzogMMA) June 9, 2024
There is no doubt that Herzog is one of the best referees in MMA, but he had a bad day at the office in a big Middleweight bout with some stakes.
Nevertheless, Imavov has won two straight and will most likely enter the Middleweight Top 5 next week. Cannonier’s two-fight win streak was snapped.
For complete UFC Louisville results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.