A controversial call took place last weekend in UFC Shanghai.
The UFC returned to China on Saturday with a decent 12-field card. The headliner saw Ko artist Johnny Walker Mingyang Zhang's homecoming by Mingyang Zhang end with leg kicks and punches.
The main map started in the Welterweight Division when Kiefer Crosbie van Ireland welcomed the debuting Taiyilake Nuuerri in the UFC.
The fight was nothing but one -way traffic for Nuuaraji, who finished Crosbie almost within the first two minutes. 'Super Saiyan' went overly looking for the finish while he threw an illegal knee while his opponent was still grounded.
With Crosbie heavily injured and bloody, referee Marc Goddard took two points of Nuerraji for the illegal strike before he let the action continue. Within a minute, Nuuaraji ended the already bewildered Crosbie in the same round after more than 15 seconds of ground and pound attacks.
Days removed from the loss, Crosbie Goddard did not leave the hook for his official on fighting evening.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Kiefer Crosbie wanted 5 minutes to recover from illegal blow to UFC Shanghai, not 45 seconds
The majority of the controversy that came from Nuerraji vs. Crosbie was that Crosbie did not get full five minutes to recover because fighters can sometimes get after an illegal attack.
Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo received five minutes to recover from an eye poke against Song Yadong in UFC Seattle. But not Crosbie. Crosbie says that Goddard gave him 45 seconds from the illegal knee to resume after he said he could continue.
“Yes, take a point away and I'll continue. Sound [good]”Crosbie wrote on Instagram.
“My job is to keep you safe at all times”
“Why is it that I didn't get 5 minutes @marcgoddard_uk,” asked Crosbie the veteran referee.
“45 seconds I got and couldn't even see if I remember what happened. I would clearly go on, because that is what fighters do to rush back while you are still brick -shaking and confused is ridiculous. Playing with my life. Ridiculous call …
“And don't understand [me] I have been wrong for years that Marc is one of the best referees in the game, if not the best. But that was a terrible decision. I am not a concussion and on wobbly legs can hardly see any straight with blood in my eyes and I returned to a fight after I was partly Kod by an illegal knee. “
Crosbie continued.
“After the fight I asked Backstage How is it that a doctor did not come in and judge me, then they told me he did that. I don't remember anything …”
Kiefer Crosbie could have taken DQ victory at UFC Shanghai
Crosbie now has the worst slip of his career and has lost his last three fights.
The 35-year-old from Dublin went 0-3 in the UFC against Kevin Jouset, Sam Patterson and Taiyilake Nuerraji.
Crosbie was given the option not to continue in his fight against Nuerring after the illegal knee.
Because Nuuerri's wrong 'flagrant' was ruled, Crosbie would leave the octagon more than probably with a disqualification profit instead of a contest result.
It would have been Crosbie's first UFC victory if he had taken the easier way out.
“I would rather die like a man than to live like a coward,” wrote Crosbie on Instagram.