A long and generally strange MMA weekend ended in controversy on Sunday night, as referee Mario Yamasaki’s stoppage at UFC Fight Night 112 ruined what was looking to be a star-turning performance by Kevin Lee, who submitted Michael Chiesa with a first-round rear-naked choke in the night’s main event.
Lee was likely seconds away from choking Chiesa out clean with Chiesa’s own signature move, but Yamasaki ultimately stopped the contest before a tap, leading to an outraged Chiesa to call for an immediate rematch. That outrage was largely shared by the pros online, who had plenty to say about Yamasaki’s decision.