A controversial call took place at UFC Shanghai last weekend.
The UFC returned to China with a decent 12-fight card on Saturday. The headliner saw KO artist Johnny Walker spoil Mingyang Zhang’s homecoming with leg kicks and punches.
The main card began in the welterweight division as Ireland’s Kiefer Crosbie welcomed the debuting Taiyilake Nueraji to the UFC.
The fight was nothing but one-way traffic for Nueraji, who nearly finished Crosbie within the first two minutes. ‘Super Saiyan’ went overkill looking for the finish as he threw an illegal knee while his opponent was still grounded.
With Crosbie badly hurt and bloodied, referee Marc Goddard took two points from Nueraji for the illegal strike before letting the action continue. Within a minute, Nueraji finished the already stunned Crosbie in the same round after more than 15 seconds of ground and pound strikes.
Days removed from the loss, Crosbie didn’t let Goddard off the hook for his officiating on fight night.
Kiefer Crosbie wanted 5 minutes to recover from illegal blow at UFC Shanghai, not 45 seconds
Most of the controversy stemming from Nueraji vs. Crosbie was that Crosbie didn’t get a full five minutes to recover as fighters are sometimes able to get after an illegal strike.
Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo got five minutes to recover from an eye-poke against Song Yadong at UFC Seattle. Not Crosbie though. Crosbie says Goddard gave him 45 seconds from the illegal knee to the fight resuming after he said he could continue.
“Yeah take away a point and I’ll carry on. Sound [good],” Crosbie wrote on Instagram.
“My job is to keep you safe at all times”
“How come I didn’t get 5 minutes @marcgoddard_uk,” Crosbie asked the veteran referee.
“45 seconds I got and couldn’t even see straight or remember what happened. Obviously I was gonna continue because that’s what fighters do but to rush me back in whilst still concussed and confused is f—— ridiculous. Playing with my life. Ridiculous call…
“And don’t get [me] wrong I’ve said for years Marc is one of the best referees in the game if not the best. But that was a horrendous decision. I’m concussed and on wobbly legs can barely see straight with blood in my eyes and I’m rushed back into a fight after being partially KOd by an illegal knee.”
Crosbie continued.
“After the fight I asked backstage how come a doctor didn’t come in and assess me, then they told me he did. I don’t remember any of it…”
Kiefer Crosbie could have taken DQ win at UFC Shanghai
Crosbie is now on the worst skid of his career, having lost his last three fights.
The 35-year-old from Dublin went 0-3 in the UFC against Kevin Jousset, Sam Patterson, and Taiyilake Nueraji.
Crosbie was given the option to not continue in his fight against Nueraji after the illegal knee.
Since Nueraji’s foul was ruled ‘blatant’, Crosbie more than likely would’ve walked out of the Octagon with a disqualification win rather than a no-contest result.
It would’ve been Crosbie’s first UFC win, had he taken the easier way out.
“I’d rather die like a man than live it as a coward,” Crosbie wrote on Instagram.