"That fight should have been over" - MMA world reacts as refereeing debacle seemingly costs Kyle Nelson a first-round finish at UFC Vancouver

MMA world reacts to referee debacle at Kyle Nelson vs. Matt Frevola fight. [Image courtesy: Getty]
MMA world reacts to referee debacle at Kyle Nelson vs. Matt Frevola fight. [Image courtesy: Getty]

Kyle Nelson made his return to the octagon after nearly a year at UFC Vancouver, capturing the attention of the MMA world.

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'The Monster' faced Matt Frevola in the main card opener. The fight began with Nelson showcasing his skills, dominating Frevola at times. In the first round, he landed a series of back-to-back ground-and-pound strikes, coming close to finishing the fight.

However, the referee, Dan Miragliotta, did not stop the bout. Instead, he intervened as the round came to a close, seemingly doing so with three seconds left on the clock.

Check out the moment below:

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Ultimately, Nelson secured a unanimous decision victory, with the judges scoring the fight 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27 in his favor. However, many in the MMA community expressed their dissatisfaction with the referee's actions during the event, sharing their thoughts publicly.

Notable combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani wrote:

"If Dan actually thought he heard the horn, tough luck. You stopped the fight. It should be over. And btw, it wasn’t even a bad stoppage. That fight should have been over and instead went two more full rounds. Insane. This is now happening every week and often with the veterans. The lack of “talent” and “accountability” in MMA officiating is so poor. It hasn’t evolved or improved in 20 years."
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Others commented:

"Kyle Nelson got robbed a TKO win. Oh, well. In the end, he still got the W. #UFCVancouver"
"Kyle Nelson gets a TKO and UD win 👏"
"Wow, can't believe we have another officiating controversy in MMA. Usually they're all so buttoned up, you know?"
"Dan Miragliotta once again proving his complete ineptitude as a referee. #UFCVancouver"
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Check out more reactions below:

Fans react to the Kyle Nelson vs. Matt Frevola fight. [Screenshots courtesy: Respective X handles]
Fans react to the Kyle Nelson vs. Matt Frevola fight. [Screenshots courtesy: Respective X handles]

With the victory, Nelson bounced back from his last fight defeat to Steve Garcia at UFC Vegas 97. Meanwhile, Frevola suffered a second consecutive defeat for the third time in his UFC career.

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Edited by Nilaav Gogoi
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