"Ref removed: Jim Perdios" - Fans react as Neil Magny secures comeback win at UFC Perth following refereeing blunder

A picture of Jake Matthews (left) defending a powerbomb attempt by Neil Magny (right) at UFC Perth. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]
Jake Matthews (left) defends a powerbomb attempt by Neil Magny (right) at UFC Perth. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

Neil Magny earned what was perhaps one of the most controversial wins in UFC history earlier this evening in Perth, Australia. Naturally, the victory has caused a firestorm among the MMA fandom.

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'The Haitian Sensation' went up against Jake Matthews at the event. 'The Celtic Kid' was coming into the fight riding a three-fight win streak, and moreover, was a sizable betting favorite for the bout.

Sure enough, the Australian showed early promise, hyping up the home crowd in the RAC Arena. A consequential moment came when Matthews locked in a guillotine on his opponent in the dying seconds of Round 1, making referee Jim Perdios call the fight before the bell.

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Magny, however, wasted no time protesting the stoppage, arguing that he had not gone unconscious. In a bizarre turn of events, Perdios reversed his original decision, opting to let the fight continue.

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Reminiscent of the UFC 178 fight between Yoel Romero and Tim Kennedy, the confusion sparked a significant shift in the momentum, with Magny slowly getting back into the contest.

The perennial welterweight contender then locked in a brabo choke at 3:08 into Round 3, forcing the referee to call the fight.

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Check out both Neil Magny and Jake Matthews' submissions below:

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Suffice it to say, the MMA fandom was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, with many flooding social media to share their thoughts and opinions.

@pawellwitt wrote:

"Ref removed: Jim Perdios"

@PatrickRyan1313 argued:

"Regardless, this fight needs to change to a no-contest. The ref stopped the fight and then changed his mind once he realized he messed up. You can’t do that, lol. YOU STOPPED THE F**KING FIGHT."
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@boscoboy97 highlighted:

"Neil Magny didn’t just win, he survived a ref’s plot twist and rewrote the ending mid-fight."

@iclickmeme opined:

"Not a robbery, those last seconds of Round 1 were the ref's fault, not Magny's."

Check out a few more responses below:

Screenshots courtesy: @UFC and @DamonMartin on X
Screenshots courtesy: @UFC and @DamonMartin on X

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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