Due to the physical nature of the sport, it can often take a lot to shock both fans and pros of MMA. However, that's exactly what happened last night at UFC's Fight Night in Austin, Texas.
Social media was in uproar following the co-main event fight between lightweights Jalin Turner and Bobby Green.
The match took an unexpected turn in the first round when Turner, 28, managed to dominate the 37-year-old veteran, Green, with a strategic punch behind the ear. This move destabilized Green, who then fell to the mat.
Seizing the moment, Turner leaped onto his opponent, unleashing a series of heavy blows to Green's head. Up to this point, the match followed the usual intensity of a UFC fight. However, what followed raised concerns across the MMA community.
Despite Green being almost motionless and unable to defend himself, referee Kerry Hatley allowed Turner to continue raining down a series of blows before finally stepping in to halt the beating. But, for many, Hatley's intervention was far too delayed. Check out the moment below:
Commentator Brendan Fitzgerald's could be heard asking: "What else do you need? What else do you need?", while a bewildered UFC legend Michael Bisping asked: "What is going on?
The unnerving delay saw Green receive at least 15 more punches, leading to him being knocked out cold - awarding Turner the victory.
Following the bout, UFC President Dana White did not hold back in criticizing Hatley for his handling of the stoppage. Despite having experience reffing over 200 fights, White described Hatley's performance as "one of the worst [he's] ever seen".
Speaking to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight, White continued: "The difference is we’ve had some refs say some dumb s**t in the past, like, ‘I allowed her to be a warrior tonight,’ and goofy s**t like that. He knows he made a mistake tonight and does not feel good about it, so it’s unfortunate."
The reactions from fans and experts on social media were also immediate and stern. UFC legend Daniel Cormier expressed his dismay on X, describing the stoppage as "one of the absolute worst stoppages in MMA history".
Sports journalist Ariel Helwani also criticized Hatley in several tweets, writing: "Holy s**t. What was that ref doing?!?! Did he want Bobby to die? What the F was that?!?
"That is one of the worst stoppages I have ever seen. Full credit to Turner. Amazing win. But it should have ended like 15 seconds earlier. Disgusting."
Helwani went on to describe the ref's performance as "criminal".
Many fans also called for Hatley to be "fired" and denied the opportunity to ever referee another fight.
One viewer tweeted: "The referee in the Green vs Turner fight needs to be fired and put in prison… how do you not stop it earlier?!?!"
A second wrote: "@danawhite that was at least 13-14 unanswered strikes by Turner on Green… get the ref fired. Completely embarrassing stoppage."
"This referee needs to be fired ASAP because that’s a disgrace," a third viewer wrote.
Fortunately, Green did make it out of the octagon and was spotted hugging his opponent backstage after their bout:
In a post-fight Octagon interview with Cormier, Turner himself acknowledged the prolonged nature of the fight, stating: "I ain’t going to talk down the ref, but yes I am. Come on, like how much more? Bobby was a little wobbled. But I gotta go until they pull me off, that’s part of my job."
