Despite getting poked in the eye right before getting knocked out, the UFC has denied Gunnar Nelson’s appeal to overturn his last loss.
In July, Nelson got knocked out by Santiago Ponzinibbio in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in Scotland.
Prior to getting knocked out, footage after the fight clearly shows Nelson getting poked in the eye.
Since he believed the foul is what led to him getting knocked out, Nelson tried to appeal his loss and have it turned into a no-contest.
After the UFC denied his appeal, Nelson’s coach, John Kavanagh, posted a statement on his Facebook page protesting the UFC’s decision.
“The real point is this- there was no time to signal to the referee between the final eye poke and the KO blow. It was a ‘fight ending foul’. What the UFC, athletic commissions and MMA officials have to ask themselves is eye gouging legal? I constantly see fighters doing it or with fingers outstretched and I don’t remember ever seen even once a fighter be penalized. What are they waiting for, permanent loss of sight?”
The real point is this- there was no time to signal to the referee between the final eye poke and the KO blow. It was a …
Posted by Coach John Kavanagh on Wednesday, September 13, 2017
