UFC welterweight Matt Brown has weighed in on Israel Adesanya’s claims of an early stoppage at UFC 281. In the final round of Adesanya’s title defense against Alex Pereira, the challenger unleashed a series of brutal, heavy shots to Adesanya’s head, leading the referee to call a stop to the contest, and ending the fight in favor of Pereira via TKO. Adesanya claims he was lucid, and the stop came too early, which Matt Brown agreed with… up to a point.
“I didn’t think it was a bad stoppage but I would have liked to see him let it go longer. I don’t hate that he stopped it the way that he did, the time he did but I would have liked to see it [continue]. If I was the ref, I would have let it go longer.
Matt Brown Backs Adesanya Stoppage
The fact is I don’t think Izzy was getting out of there. I don’t think Izzy thought he was getting out of there. I don’t think anybody thinks he was going to get out of there but in this sport, we have seen crazier things. This sport just never fails to blow your mind.
I would have liked to see him given the chance and I would have given him the chance but I also don’t hate the ref for stopping it when he did. I mean he was taking shots and when he did stop it, Izzy took a really, really hard shot.”
Brown continued, pointing out that Adesanya was still attempting to defend and evade Pereira’s shots, albeit with little success. “The reason if I were the ref I would have let them have a little bit more time, he still had his bearings about him.
He was still attempting to dodge shots, whether he was successful at it or not he was at least attempting. This is also a world title fight. You’ve got to recognize this is the fifth round of a world title fight. You know the fighters. You know the guy’s a multiple time world champion. You’ve got to respect those kinds of things.
90 percent of the time, I’m an advocate that they should have let it go longer, whether it’s me or someone else. That’s just the sport that we’re in. They should give you every chance that you have to get out of there.”
Was Pereira’s win an early stop, or did the referee make the right call? Let us know in the comments.
