Due to an early referee stoppage, tonight’s fight between Daniel Argueta and Ronnie Lawrence was declared a no-contest. A number of well-known UFC analysts, including Daniel Cormier, criticized the referee for making such a poor choice.
One of the most frustrating turnovers for an MMA fight other than no-contest is an early stoppage. Fighters usually go through rigorous training sessions for months before they get the chance to step inside the octagon or cage. If a fight is stopped too early, many athletes feel that they were not given the proper chance to compete.
Which UFC Vegas 75 incident is Daniel Cormier talking about?
On June 17, 2023, the UFC on ESPN 47 event headlining Vettori vs. Cannonier took place at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada. At the Apex, Argueta and Lawrence squared off in the second preliminary bout of the night.
Bit of controversy here at the APEX! 😳
Dan Argueta gets the first-round guillotine over Ronnie Lawrence…but was it a tap?! #UFCVegas75 pic.twitter.com/T5khWCW7Ui
— UFC (@ufc) June 17, 2023
Referee Keith Peterson, who is at the center of the controversy, was in charge of the fight. During a moment when Lawrence waved his hand to show his consciousness, Keith took it as a tap.
However, Ronnie didn’t tap apparently as he instantly protested. In the video replay, it was also clear that it wasn’t a tap. Hence, the bout was declared a no-contest due to the premature stoppage from the referee.
Have there been other infamous refereeing decisions in UFC?
In the UFC and combat sports in general premature stoppages by referees often spark debate and it happened many times. A referee can step in and break up a fight early making a crucial impact on the result.
These rulings are arbitrary and susceptible to the referee’s gut instincts at the time. Hence, in some cases, officials come under fire from spectators, fighters, and analysts for ending fights too soon and denying competitors the chance to rest or continue fighting.
This is not the first incident in the UFC where a referee mistakenly put an early stoppage of a fight. During Israel Adesanya’s first UFC bout against his arch-rival Alex Pereira, many thought the fight was stopped a tad bit early.
Ion Cutelaba also claimed early stoppage and lashed out at the referee during his first outing against Magomed Ankalaev. This is probably why his rematch against the Dagestani wasn’t stopped until he received a significant bit of pounding.
"I thought I finished him."
Dan Argueta discusses the unfortunate end to his #UFCVegas75 bout with Ronnie Lawrence 🔊🆙
All Fight Results ⬇️: https://t.co/9CTRSdXgJA
— UFC News (@UFCNews) June 18, 2023
Do you recall any poor refereeing in the UFC? If yes, do share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
