Controversy struck the UFC once again. This past weekend, online UFC betting players were robbed as Fight Night 112’s headlining bout came to a disappointing halt in round 1, thanks to the interfering hand of one the UFC’s most notorious referees: Mario Mazzagatti. Mazzagatti’s decision was so abhorrent that even UFC president Dana White Roasted the ref on his social media. But before we break down that error, let’s glance over what happened on the under card.
Fight Night 112 Recap for Players who Bet on MMA
The night got off to a quick start as online UFC betting fans witnessed two TKO finishes in the early preliminaries. Jeremy Kimball defeated Josh Stansbury via TKO in under 1:30 and Jared Gordon defeated Michael Quinones via TKO right before the end of the second round. Tony Martin also earned a victory, albeit via decision over Johnny Case.
The preliminary card wasn’t as decisive as the previous bouts. With all 5 fights going to a decision, players who bet on MMA weren’t quite as thrilled as they’d like to be. The most dominating performance came from the middleweight division, as Marvin Vettori earned a win over Vitor Miranda 29-28, 30-27, and 30-27.
Fans would have to wait a little longer to see a finish, as Dominick Reyes became the next fighter to deliver a decisive result. And all though it took a while for Reyes to face Joachim Christensen, it would not take long for Reyes to finish the fight. 29 seconds into the first round was all it took for Reyes to earn a TKO finish over Christensen.
After that, sports betting sites witnessed something few were prepared for. UFC veteran Felice Herrig earned a decision victory over Justine Kish. In the process, Herrig made the UFC newcomer defecate herself. Kish has since taken to social media to make light of a rather unfortunate situation.
In the post-fight press conference, Herrig had an emotional moment at the podium. After a reporter asked Herrig why the UFC didn’t promote her as much, Herrig responded by stating that the promotion had no interest in an aging veteran who wasn’t as ‘beautiful’ as some of the younger stars in the UFC. Herrig also said that she was hurt by the opportunities the promotion was throwing at these younger newcomers (Paige VanZant comes to mind), despite all the work she’s put into the promotion.
The headlining fight of the night saw Kevin Lee score a submission over Michael Chiesa. With less than a minute to go in the first round, Lee secured a rear-naked choke that put Chiesa in a difficult situation. Chiesa was adamantly fighting the choke, and then continued to do so in a less emphatic manner. The referee, Mazzagatti, perceived this to be a sign of oxygen deprivation and quickly called an end to the fight.
Immediately, Chiesa rose off the mat with his arms raised in a questioning manner. A very few percentage of players feel that the stoppage was called for. Comparably, the vast majority the online UFC betting community feels that Mazzagatti ended the bout prematurely. Dana White certainly didn’t mince words.
Some fans are calling for a rematch between Lee and Chiesa. However, given how cringe-inducing the trash talk between those two was, I think we’d all prefer for the promotion to move on to something else. It will be two weeks before the UFC holds another event, but 213 promises to be a breathtaking event.
