UFC Exec Calls Out Referee After Magny vs. Matthews Debacle
There was confusion aplenty during Saturday’s scrap between Jake Matthews and Neil Magny at UFC Perth.
With only seconds left in the first round, Matthews cinched in a rear-naked choke on Magny. As referee Jim Perdios moved in, Magny’s arm appeared to go limp, prompting him to seemingly stop the fight. Matthews popped up believing he’d just scored himself a first-round finish.
Then controversy reared its ugly head.
After being separated, Magny appeared to be conscious and immediately protested the stoppage. Peridos said that the fight was still on and allowed the scrap to move onto the second round despite breaking up the fighters just before the bell.
Like many fans watching from around the world, UFC vice president of international and content Dave Shaw thought the fight was over, and believes Peridos made a mistake.
“The whole situation was strange,” Shaw said at the UFC Perth post-fight press conference. “There was confusion where we were sitting. There were a number of us just talking through the particulars. I think in the end, and everyone is going to have a different position, but as we saw it, the arm seemed to go a little bit limp. Magny’s arm kind of came out and flopped a little bit as if he’s about to go out. My only assumption – I don’t want to speculate – my only assumption is that the ref assumed that he was going out and seemed to have stopped the fight.
“I think objectively, and to most people – maybe different people have different opinions here – but it seemed like he stopped the fight, and he stopped the fight importantly before the bell. Now, there didn’t seem to be much time before the bell, and that’s where the confusion started. Jake got off because of the bell; very clearly, the ref thought that Neil was coming to it, or he was fine, and allowed the fight to continue.”
“So, where do we go from here? Mathews’ camp is able to launch some sort of appeal, but this is all in the hands of Western Australia Combat Commission, so it’s up to them to determine what the next step is, and I’m not really sure what the scope of the process would be and whether or not they would levy a no-decision,” Shaw added. “But there seemed to be a mistake.”
Matthews planning to appeal controversial decision at UFC Perth
Matthews continued to control things in the second stanza, but it all came crashing down in the third after Magny pulled off an incredible come-from-behind finish, submitting Matthews via a d’arce choke with two minutes left in the fight.
Matthews and his team plan to appeal the decision.
“Yes, we will be appealing,” Matthews’ team told BJPenn.com in an email statement.
