Bo Nickal’s promotional debut on Saturday at UFC 285 was quick, but his victory will be formally claimed by opponent Jamie Pickett’s team.
On Saturday, shortly after his champion was submitted by Nickal in the first round at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, MMA manager LaMont Chappell, of LCA Sports Management, contacted MMA Junkie about a plan to file an application with the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC). ) turn the result into a non-competitive one.
The basis of the appeal revolves around a knee to Nickal’s midsection against the fence that occurred moments before the takedown that led to the finish. Pickett and his team believe the photo was to the groin, and illegal.
“It is very important, like all other major sports (including collegiate sports) that replay is necessary to maintain fair play,” Chappell said in a written statement. these types of cases from judges and officials are becoming more common in MMA. At the end of the day they (officials) are human; but a fighter who trains his ass should not be punished for mistakes by individuals who are paid to make the best judgments for the integrity of the sport.”
MMA Junkie asked Nickal for his thoughts on the UFC 285 post-fight press conference, to which the former Penn State University wrestler denied that the strike was fake and that he had to be deceived by Pickett’s team’s appeal.
“I hit him in the leg, in the thigh,” said Nickal. “I was in a bad position next to the wall. He wanted to go off the wall and he wanted the ref to stop him. If I had beaten him low, I would have felt bad because I don’t want to win like that. I’m not fake. I’m not someone who tries to take short cuts. If I hit it low, I would have just relaxed maybe or let the ref stop it. But I didn’t hit him low at all, so it’s a weird move, bro. “
Although many regulatory bodies accept MMA product appeals, reversals are rare. Often, review processes and decisions for pranks are made behind closed doors.
NAC 467.770 states that a finding may be reversed after a decision for one of three reasons, with only one relevant to the challenge at hand.
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The Commission confirms that collusion affected the outcome of the competition or exhibition
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Compilation of the judges’ scorecards reveals an error indicating that the decision was awarded to the wrong unarmed fighter; or
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Due to an error in interpreting a provision in this chapter, the referee has given an incorrect decision.
Video replay is available in Nevada and could be used by referee Keith Peterson. However, it was not used during or immediately after Saturday’s bout.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.
Story first appeared on MMA Junkie
