Former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman suffered a TKO loss to Gegard Mousasi in the co-main event of UFC 210.
The loss didn’t come without controversy and Weidman has now filed an appeal with the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) to overturn the decision.
For those who didn’t see the fight for themselves, the fight ended when Mousasi nailed Weidman with a pair of knee strikes to the head that were originally deemed illegal by referee Dan Miragliotta. Moments after Weidman was being checked by doctors for the illegal knee strikes, instant replay showed that the strikes were not illegal, which was relayed to Miragliotta.
Miragliotta then went to the doctors and Weidman to tell them that the fight must continue, but the doctors deemed Weidman unable to continue and that prompted the referee to award the fight to Mousasi via second round TKO.
Mousasi holds steadfast in his claim that he won the fight fairly, while stating that Weidman was attempting to play games with his hand placement.
“I have a lot of respect for Weidman,” Mousasi said after the event. “I don’t want to badmouth him. But if you want to play smart and take advantage of the rules, that’s not my fault. If you want to put your hand down so I cannot knee you or take it up, you’re fighting. Don’t try to take advantage of the rules. At the end of the day, it was legal. That’s what everyone says now. I don’t make the rules. I felt he didn’t want to continue. I think everyone saw that. How is that my fault? I don’t give a (expletive). I won. I like the guy, and he’s a tough opponent, but at the end of the day, he didn’t want to fight.”
There is no word yet on when the NYSAC will make their decision on the appeal, but it should be coming in the next few weeks.
