Anderson won the fight under odd circumstances, as a head kick the fighter thrown wound up unintentionally putting a toe into the eye of Zingano.
Zingano, who was treated backstage after the fighter and didn’t need to go to the hospital, issued the following update via Instagram:
Many fans saw the finish as a controversial one, since a toe to the eye from a head kick is what would lead to the finish a few moments later.
However, according to retired referee and Bellator MMA commentator “Big” John McCarthy, nothing controversial happened in that bout.
McCarthy would explain why via a series of posts on Twitter:
Feel so bad for @CatZingano , but that was the absolutely right call by @marcgoddard_uk Cat was kicked with a legal kick, it was a toe that caught her in the eye, but it was not illegal and is not the same as being poked with a finger
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) December 30, 2018
You punch with a closed fist. If you sustain an eye injury based upon a legal punch the eye injury could lead to you losing the fight via TKO. A fighter can not control toes in the same fashion they can fingers. That’s why we do not call toe pokes to the eye #AskBJM https://t.co/GVjEUXVEhd
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) December 30, 2018
No word has been given yet as to exactly how long Zingano is expected to be out of action for, but more should be known as the injury heals.
