UFC Fight Night 260: Dave Shaw full post-event interview
UFC Executive Vice President of International and Content Dave Shaw talks to reporters after Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 260 event in Perth.
Things didn’t go so smoothly in the Neil Magny vs. Jake Matthews fight at UFC Fight Night 260.
There was plenty of controversy during the welterweight bout that went down on the main card of Saturday’s UFC event in Perth, Australia. Many criticized the officiating from referee Jim Perdios when he appeared to wave off the fight at the end of Round 1 with Magny’s right arm appearing to go limb while he was caught in a mounted guillotine.
Magny protested the stoppage immediately, and Perdios said the fight was still on and allowed it to move forward to Round 2.
Like many watching from home, UFC vice president of international and content Dave Shaw thought the fight was over, and thinks the referee clearly made a mistake.
“The whole situation was strange,” Shaw said at the UFC Fight Night 260 post-fight press conference. “There was confusion where we were sitting. There were a number of us just talking through the particulars. I think in the end, and everyone is going to have a different position, but as we saw it, the arm seemed to go a little bit limp. Magny’s arm kind of came out and flopped a little bit as if he’s about to go out. My only assumption – I don’t want to speculate – my only assumption is that the ref assumed that he was going out and seemed to have stopped the fight.
“I think objectively, and to most people – maybe different people have different opinions here – but it seemed like he stopped the fight, and he stopped the fight importantly before the bell. Now, there didn’t seem to be much time before the bell, and that’s where the confusion started. Jake got off because of the bell, very clearly the ref thought that Neil was coming to it, or he was fine, and allowed the fight to continue. So where do we go from here? Mathews’ camp is able to launch some sort of appeal, but this is all in the hands of Western Australia Combat Commission, so it’s up to them to determine what the next step is, and I’m not really sure what the scope of the process would be and whether or not they would levy a no decision. But there seemed to be a mistake.”
After the call, Matthews continued to get his way in the fight, getting close to locking in a decision win. However, all his work came to an end in with about two minutes left in the fight. Magny pulled off an incredible comeback, submitting Matthews with a D’Arce choke late in the fight.
Matthews revealed Sunday that he’s appealing the result with the Western Australia Combat Commission, claiming, “It’s not easy to switch back on after a referee’s call.” He thinks the referee’s mishap affected the result of his fight.
