John McCarthy thinks Chris Curtis has a right to be distressed about his loss at UFC Fight Night 249.
Curtis (31-12 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was outraged by referee Mark Smith's blockage of his battle versus Roman Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) on Saturday at the UFC Apex, where he was dropped with one 2nd left in the battle.
After landing a head kick that floored Curtis, Kopylov strolled method, triggering Smith to waive the battle. Curtis instantly opposed, and previous referee McCarthy describes why he concurs.
“Going into the 3rd, I had it 1-1,” McCarthy stated on his “Weighing-In” podcast. “It was apparent Kopylov was winning the 3rd round, however I understand the blockage was bad. If Kopylov had actually pursued Chris, it's a great blockage. … You've got to stop the battle when the individual can not protect themselves and at that minute, there was absolutely nothing to resist. You're having a look at what occurred with Curtis. Curtis got injured, he got struck with an excellent kick and decreases on the side, however he's looking towards his challenger to a point, and his challenger's strolling off.
“He has absolutely nothing to protect. Do not stop the battle there. If he's out, stop the battle. If he's not, and his challenger's strolling off and you understand I've currently heard the clapping of the boards, so I understand I've been counting off in my head, if you're doing the task properly, what second I'm at. I understand that I've just got 2, 3 seconds left in this battle, and I have a challenger who's leaving, I do not stop the battle.”
Kopylov protected Smith's blockage, whereas Curtis launched a declaration after the battle venting his disappointment.
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