Khamzat Chimaev totally dominated Dricus Du Plessis within the UFC 319 major occasion final weekend in Chicago to seize the middleweight championship. He repeatedly put the South African on his again and managed “Stillknocks” on the bottom for practically the complete five-round battle.
Within the closing spherical, referee Marc Goddard stood the fighters up after 22 minutes of Chimaev’s grappling dominance. Goddard stood them up a second time late within the closing body. Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker questioned the referee’s motives.
“Horrible stand-up. He simply wished to provide Dricus an opportunity to throw bombs,” Whittaker mentioned on the MMArcade Podcast. “Man, you may’t do (that). He is managed, at this level, 22 minutes of floor time within the match and also you stand him up when he is at his most drained to provide a (likelihood). You may’t do this, man.
“However not as soon as, not simply as soon as. Twice. He even broke them up when he was on the wall. It is Chimaev’s greatest place. That was horrible in my view,” continued Whittaker.
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The stand-ups within the closing spherical in the end led to Du Plessis’ largest moments within the battle.
“That is as a result of his greatest mate gave him a hand,” Whittaker mentioned.
“The factor is, I do not perceive why you’ll stand him up if he is finished it for 22 minutes of the complete battle. It is not like one dude was simply taking him down to attend. No, he is been doing this because the first 20 seconds of the battle. That blows my thoughts,” continued the previous champion. “Like, he simply gave Dricus a shot, twice, an opportunity.”
