Watch: Controversy at UFC 257 as Marina Rodriguez walks off before the referee can stop the fight!

The main card of the much-anticipated UFC 257 pay-per-view started with the duel of two Brazilian strawweights as Marina Rodriguez took on Amanda Rivas. After a loss to Carla Esparza at UFC on ESPN 14 in July, 2020, Marina Rodriguez found her way back to winning ways with a stunning TKO over Amanda Ribas.

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Controversy during Marina Rodriguez vs. Amanda Ribas fight at UFC 257

The first round saw Amanda Ribas overpower Marina Rodriguez with grappling. However, the second round turned things around. Controversy ensued as Rodriguez dropped Ribas with a big right and kept her down with a series of punches.

Referee Herb Dean walked in close and it seemed like he was about to stop the fight. At one point, it looked like Herb Dean's hand might have touched Marina Rodriguez near the shoulder, which led her to believe the fight was over and she had won. However, that was not the case.

Dean gave off signals he was ready to step in, but he didn’t formally intervene. Rodriguez got that wrong, but it didn’t cost her.The question is why it needed to go on. https://t.co/EQHXYug8t7

— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) January 24, 2021

Dean clarified that he had not intended to interfere with a shrug of shoulders, and the two fighters went right back at it. But the fight did not continue for too long, as Ribas took some serious punishment soon afterwards. Marina Rodriguez did not let the little hiccup cost her the fight, and Herb Dean soon intervened for real, stopping the fight.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! 🤯Rodriguez drops Ribas but the fight's not over!📺 Watch #UFC257 LIVE NOW ➡️ https://t.co/HxB6ItKj8B pic.twitter.com/oueoRyCYjH

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) January 24, 2021

Fans and experts soon started to question the sequence on social media. While some speculated why Herb Dean needed to physically intervene instead of issuing verbal commands if he had no intention of stopping, others are asking why the fight needed to go on at all.

I don’t know the rules well enough here, but wouldn’t the referee want to give verbal commands to Ribas to fight back before physically intervening? Creates the proper anticipation by the attacking fighter for the referee’s intervention, no? https://t.co/C0gDhJnerm

— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) January 24, 2021

Either way, Marina Rodriguez has secured her third win in UFC, with her previous victories coming over Jessica Aguilar and Tecia Torres via decision.