Nkuta Appeals Technical Submission Loss, Seeking No-Contest After $100,000 Fight of the Night
Updated
Updated · MMA Fighting · May 20
Nkuta Appeals Technical Submission Loss, Seeking No-Contest After $100,000 Fight of the Night
6 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · May 20
Phumi Nkuta’s team has filed an appeal with the California State Athletic Commission to overturn his technical submission loss to Adriano Moraes, arguing the result should be changed to a no-contest.
Instant replay led referee Herb Dean to rule Nkuta went unconscious before the final bell, but Nkuta says he heard the bell first and was choked out only after Moraes held the rear-naked choke too long.
Two scorecards had Nkuta ahead 20-18 and a third had it 19-19, meaning he says he was on course for at least a split-decision win before the late sequence.
Nkuta compared the finish to Rousimar Palhares’ notorious late hold-ons, though he stopped short of attacking Dean personally and said the referee was trying to do his job.
The disputed loss is the first of Nkuta’s pro career, but he said the short-notice bout up a weight class still raised his stock and earned him a $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus.
Beyond one controversial loss, does this fight signal a major shift in fighter pay and power within professional MMA?
How can a fighter lose a bout he was winning on the scorecards just seconds before the final bell?
Will a choke held past the bell force a change in how MMA referees use instant replay for fight-ending submissions?