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MMA is a box full of surprises. Just when it seemed that everything had already been seen inside an octagon, Jim Perdios has proven otherwise. The UFC referee was present on the Perth card last weekend, and made one of the biggest mistakes in the company's history in the fight between Jake Matthews and Neil Magny.
With seconds to go in the first round, the referee stopped the fight due to a submission by Matthews that seemed to have left Magny unconscious, but he retracted his decision when he saw that it was not true and the American ended up winning by the same way in the third round.
It all happened very quickly, and with good news for the local crowd. Matthews managed to take Magny to the ground, and locked in a guillotine that looked like the end of the fight. With three seconds to go in the round, Magny's arm indicated that he had gone to sleep, and the referee decided to stop the fight
However, as Jake released the submission, the American fighter could be seen complaining to the referee that he had not been put to sleep or submitted. Perdios, visibly surprised, decided to retract his decision and act as if nothing had happened. Matthews' face was a poem, as was that of everyone present, as no one knew what was going on.
I didn't realize it until we got up to start the second round. I haven't seen this in my life
"I sat in the chair while I was celebrating and my coach told me 'the fight is not over'. I didn't realise until we got up to start the second round. I was like 'what the f*** are we doing here?'. I haven't seen this in my life. I'm surprised at what I was able to do in the second round. Either he was out, or he pretended he was out of the fight - Magny - and they shouldn't allow that," Matthews said in a YouTube video.
A tragic outcome
The decision would not have been so serious if Matthews had taken the victory, but this was not the case. After a second round in which the Australian fighter clearly dominated, everything indicated that he would get the finish or the victory on points. However, Magny surprised everyone present with two minutes to go before the end of the fight, achieving the submission and further increasing the controversy.
The fight stoppage is currently under review by the state commission
As expected, Matthews' team appealed the decision to the state commission so that the fight ends up being a no contest, which is what should end up happening. The rules are clear. "The stoppage of the fight is currently under review by the state commission of the fight. It's not easy to get yourself going again after the referee's decision, so we'll leave it in their hands and see where it goes. At the end of the day, rules are rules," Matthews wrote on social media.
Magny has not spoken about it through social networks, although he did make it clear after the fight that he was not at any time unconscious, trying to defend his position. The UFC, for its part, is not at all happy with Jim Perdios, who will surely not be seen in the promoter's octagon for a long time. Dana White is usually blunt with this type of case, and this occasion does not seem to be the exception.