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New Jersey Athletic Commission denies Dvalishvili appeal, cites Goddard and McCarthy

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but Merab Dvalishvili won’t be getting his TKO loss to Ricky Simon scrubbed off the books. The Team Serra-Longo bantamweight looked to have a decision win clearly in hand at the UFC’s recent Fight Night event in Atlantic City, NJ, when referee Liam Kerrigan waved the bout off, after the final bell had sounded, declaring Simon the winner via TKO.

A last minute takedown at the end of the third round resulted in Dvalishvili spending the remainder of the fight stuck in a deep choke – his legs kicking and his face turning a vivid shade of purple.