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The UFC has once again been rocked by an illegal knee shot, with Darren Stewart’s bout against Eryk Anders in Las Vegas finishing as a controversial no-contest ruling.
The middleweight fight was the first contest on Sunday’s UFC Vegas 21 main card, but ended in ugly circumstances following an illegal knee shot.
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Anders immediately found himself on the back foot after copping a flurry of punches, but fought back to drop Stewart with a vicious left hand.
The English fighter returned to his feet but slumped back onto the mat soon after, at which point Anders brought his right knee into the side of his opponent’s head.
Importantly, Stewart was still grounded with one knee and one hand on the mat.
Referee Herb Dean stopped the contest immediately after the incident occurred, and the doctor refused to let Stewart continue.
The fight was ultimately waved off at 4:37 in the first round, but Dean contentiously interpreted Anders’ move as accidental, meaning the result was branded a no-contest rather than a disqualification.
Anders said after the fight: “It was just a lapse in judgment, it was in the heat of the moment. I should have just been throwing punches instead of worrying knees and kicks and stuff. It’s a mistake on my part.”
MMA reporter Damon Martin tweeted: “Intentional or not, a foul is a foul. There needs to be a better rule on this because ultimately Darren Stewart ate an illegal shot, was not allowed to continue and he goes home with half his paycheck.”
Irish journalist Niall McGrath posted: “Right call from the doctor, more or less called it straight away. Unfortunate way to end it again, Madness from Anders but s**t happens.”
READ MORE: Aussies humbled on chaotic UFC card
In dramatic scenes last weekend, reigning UFC champion Petr Yan was stripped of his belt after being disqualified for an intentional foul.
Facing off at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Yan was disqualified for planting a knee in the face of Jamaican opponent Aljamain Sterling.
“You can’t get more illegal than that,” UFC commentator Joe Rogan said at the time.
“That knee was crazy. It was illegal. So clearly illegal.”
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