Despite winning the fight via an impressive third-round stoppage, a lot went wrong for Manel Kape at his UFC Vegas 103 clash against Asu Almabayev on Saturday. First of all, the Portuguese flyweight was originally supposed to face former champ Brandon Royval, which would have all but guaranteed him a title shot. However, the latter pulled out, and ‘Starboy’ had to settle for #8 ranked Asu Almabayev.

But that’s not all. A couple of alleged eye pokes from Kape during the fight clouded his victory and raised questions if it was totally fair. Fans are up in arms, upset at referee Mike Beltran for not taking proper action against what they feel were clear-eye pokes. But ‘Big’ John McCarthy, the Jon Jones of referees, thinks Beltran was a hundred percent correct.

“The first one that happened is what? You know, you had Almabayev did what? He goes, ‘oh! I got poked.’ And what did Beltran do? Stop, time. But that’s why they now have the RO [replay official] because see what’ll happen is people expect the referee to see everything. You can’t, okay? Sometimes you’ll see the poke, sometimes you’ll see it’s as a punch,” McCarthy told co-host Josh Thomson on their ‘Weighing In’ podcast.

McCarthy, in fact, partly blamed Almabayev for seemingly crying wolf during the first alleged eye poke in the second round for not being believed for the second eye poke, which came in the third round.

“And so what happens with Beltran is, Beltran goes to the RO, that’s the replay official. That replay official tells him, I think it was Jason Herzog, says, ‘It was a punch.’ He [Beltran] says, ‘Nope. It was a good shot. Let’s fight, and he tries to give him as little amount of time.’ So when the second one occurs, and Beltran doesn’t see exactly how it occurs, what’s he thinking? ‘Already,’ you know. ‘I already gave you one, and you’re gonna have to fight on [because] I didn’t see it.’ And if you, if you don’t see it, don’t call it. So he’s right in that,” he said.

Indeed, ‘if you don’t see it, don’t call it’ does seem like a good rule of thumb for referees. However, it is also totally fair for fans and analysts to criticize the second eye poke not being called, despite being a legitimate one. Referees indeed cannot be expected to see everything. But it is their job to try and do that. And if they miss a crucial moment like that, it’s understandable that people are upset. And while Almabayev may have lost the fight, Kape fears he may be the bigger loser.

Manel Kape makes an impressive case for a title shot

Manel Kape, of course, had hoped a win over Almabayev would secure him a title shot. And that would probably have been the case if he had won without any controversy. However, given the whole eye-poke controversy, Kape may well have to wait more to fight champ Alexandre Pantoja for the title. At least that is what ‘Starboy’ fears is going to happen.

“Guys, I’m just saying, who’s next? Who’s next against me, they gonna deny again my title shot? Hey Hunter [Campbell], you know I’m the best. I just stop a guy with 17 win streak…I’m the best I’m the star boy…whatever, who’s next to fight against me, be ready because I’m going to steal that belt like I stole a candy [from] my daughter,” Kape told Jon Anik in the post-fight octagon interview.

At the post-fight presser, Kape did, however, make an excellent case that he should fight for the title. The flyweight division, of course, is perhaps the least popular division among fans. This is why every so often there are rumors that the UFC is going to end the division for good. But ‘Starboy’ pointed out how his flamboyant and loud personality could inject some much-needed spice into the division and make it more lively and interesting for fans.

“We see right now Pantoja as a champion has been for a long time, and they didn’t build anything. Demetrious Johnson was the best in 125 and they didn’t build anything. (Brandon) Moreno didn’t build anything. I just don’t just think (it’s been exciting). I feel people love to watch me. Even if they hate me or love me, they want to watch me fight. This division don’t go anywhere. It needs something spicy, and I’m the hot man,” he told reporters after the fight.

What do you think about ‘Big’ John McCarthy’s take on the Kape eye-poke controversy?