Roy Nelson faces sanctions in Brazilian court for John McCarthy kick

Roy Nelson’s post-fight actions on Saturday night at UFC Brasilia will be dealt with by a Brazilian sports court.

Roy Nelson was involved in a controversy on Saturday night at UFC Brasilia when he gave referee John McCarthy a slight push kick for the late stoppage against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. “Big Country” did apologize for it afterwards, but also said he wouldn’t take it back.

“I didn’t want to hurt ‘Bigfoot’ more than I had to,” Nelson said during the post-fight press conference. “And I got taken by the moment, because it’s like I’m beating the sh*t out of somebody and you’re like, dude, enough is enough. And for me, it hurt my feelings. And I apologize to Big John, but I wouldn’t take it back. It just hurt me, that I’ve got to keep on hitting a guy that doesn’t need to be hit.”

Laying a hand on a referee has always been considered an unacceptable act in combat sports. In the UFC, it is what got lightweight Jason High booted out of the company for shoving referee Kevin Mulhall during his fight against Rafael Dos Anjos in 2014.

Nelson’s case will apparently be addressed by Brazil’s Superior Justice Court of Sport, as confirmed by Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA) spokesperson Cristiano Sampaio in an email to MMA Junkie.

“Even though CABMMA understands Roy Nelson’s ‘frustration’ in that situation due to his close relationship with his opponent, that does not justify his act and can open a serious and dangerous precedent in the sport. We, as the regulation body of MMA in Brazil and member of the Association of Boxing Commissions, will not tolerate such conduct.

“All the licensed professionals involved have to act accordingly, respecting the rules, commission, promoter and fans, where unsportsmanlike behavior will be subject to fines and suspensions.”

For their part, the UFC has yet to announce if they will be slapping sanctions on Nelson regarding the incident.

Roy Nelson’s post-fight actions on Saturday night at UFC Brasilia will be dealt with by a Brazilian sports court.

Roy Nelson was involved in a controversy on Saturday night at UFC Brasilia when he gave referee John McCarthy a slight push kick for the late stoppage against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. “Big Country” did apologize for it afterwards, but also said he wouldn’t take it back.

“I didn’t want to hurt ‘Bigfoot’ more than I had to,” Nelson said during the post-fight press conference. “And I got taken by the moment, because it’s like I’m beating the sh*t out of somebody and you’re like, dude, enough is enough. And for me, it hurt my feelings. And I apologize to Big John, but I wouldn’t take it back. It just hurt me, that I’ve got to keep on hitting a guy that doesn’t need to be hit.”

Laying a hand on a referee has always been considered an unacceptable act in combat sports. In the UFC, it is what got lightweight Jason High booted out of the company for shoving referee Kevin Mulhall during his fight against Rafael Dos Anjos in 2014.

Nelson’s case will apparently be addressed by Brazil’s Superior Justice Court of Sport, as confirmed by Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA) spokesperson Cristiano Sampaio in an email to MMA Junkie.

“Even though CABMMA understands Roy Nelson’s ‘frustration’ in that situation due to his close relationship with his opponent, that does not justify his act and can open a serious and dangerous precedent in the sport. We, as the regulation body of MMA in Brazil and member of the Association of Boxing Commissions, will not tolerate such conduct.

“All the licensed professionals involved have to act accordingly, respecting the rules, commission, promoter and fans, where unsportsmanlike behavior will be subject to fines and suspensions.”

For their part, the UFC has yet to announce if they will be slapping sanctions on Nelson regarding the incident.