“This Referee Was Sleeping on His Job” – Horrible Error Puts a Blemish on Joe Pyfer’s Win as Official Blunders During Abdul Razak Alhassan Loss at UFC Vegas 80

Joe Pyfer just secured his win over Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC Vegas 80. While Pyfer is clearly the winner, the decision the win may have just come a few seconds late. And a few seconds in the UFC could make a whole lot of difference. Pyfer has won four of his last few matches and this one makes it five. But what happened in the end?

The fight went on for two rounds. As the moments of the closing drew in, Pyfer managed to get himself in a great position for a takedown. He managed to slam Alhassan on the mat and get him in a chokehold. The fighter struggled for a moment or two but the force of Pyfer’s arms was just too great for him. The fighter tapped out, and yet, he was still allowed to pass out by the ref. Fans were obviously not happy.

Fans are angry as the referee’s error leads to Alhassan passing out

By the time the first round ended, Alhassan looked like he was struggling. Pyfer was able to get a great takedown attempt in as soon as the fight started but his opponent managed to ward it off. However, in the second round, things were not as easy for Alhassan as ‘Bodybagz’ managed to drop him and get into a triangle chokehold.

The fighter came to his limit and tapped out, however, he made a fist to tap out and that may have put the ref in an awkward position. He could not tell if the fighter had actually submitted. The referee, Mark Smith, had to ask mid-fight, “Are you tapping?” leaving fans in splits but also enraged.

Some fans were sure that ref Smith at UFC Vegas 80 did not know how to do his job as he let the fighter go unconscious after tapping.

Meanwhile, former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling felt like Alhassan really needs to learn how to defend against the common chokehold.

Clearly, a lapse in a decision like this could mean terrible things for fighters. However, the argument can be a double-edged sword. Alhassan did tap with a perfect fist to Pyfer’s body, this could have made an impression that he was still trying to punch his opponent off. This is why, some people feel like the ref’s decision wasn’t as ignorant as many accuse him of. There was speculation, but the game can look so very different from inside the cage. Perhaps this one time, the referee deserves the benefit of the doubt.

How did the fight go down at UFC Vegas 80?

The fight started off strong for a co-main event match. However, some fans expected it to last a bit longer. Initially, both the fighters looked like they had high energies. Alhassan would take calf kicks like a champ and return them almost unfazed. The fighter shrugged off the first-ever takedown attempt Pyfer made off with clever movement.

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However, by the end of the round, Alhassan looked tired and stretched too thin. He was trying to defend against his opponent’s strikes but it felt like it was all in vain. His takedown attempts were almost insignificant against Pyfer. ‘Bodybagz’ has a little bit of reach advantage because he’s 6’2 against a 5’10 Alhassan. Many believe this advantage helped him in the final takedown at UFC Vegas 80.

Do you think Alhassan could have defended himself better? ‘Aljo’ certainly seems to think so.

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