On Tuesday, Peru’s Ian Escuza scored a quick knockout over Luca Borando, stopping his opponent in just 32 seconds. That’s the exact kind of victory that typically earns an up-and-coming talent a UFC contract, and indeed, Escuza walked away as the UFC’s newest Featherweight following some praise from matchmaker Sean Shelby.
The problem? Escuza definitely landed an illegal knee in the flurry that finished Borando. In the clip below, you can clearly see Borando’s knee on the canvas (making him a downed opponent) when another Escuza knee crashes into his face.
Even after reviewing the sequence in slow-motion, Dean and the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) ruled Escuza the victor rather than declaring the bout a “No Contest” or disqualification (like this one). Speaking with media after the event, UFC CEO Dana White reacted to the controversy and laid the blame at the feet of Herb Dean.
“What we do is we keep spending money to fund training for these guys to keep training,” White explained when asked how to fix the refereeing problem. “I don’t disagree with you. Herb Dean has been around for a long f—king time. It’s not like he’s green and he needs some work. He f—ked up.”
UFC does not have control over the athletic commissions or referee decisions. It is entirely in White and company’s control who receives a UFC contract, however, and awarding Escuza after landing an illegal knee doesn’t exactly send a great message. It would almost be like promoting an interim champion to undisputed gold after he blinded the real divisional kingpin!
I expect an Alex Pereira reaction in the next 24 hours.
