Chris Weidman shouldn’t expect a hand from the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) in the UFC 210 controversy.
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title holder took on Gegard Mousasi this past Saturday night (April 8) inside the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Weidman looked to avoid his third straight loss, which is a far cry from his days as the 185-pound champion.
In the bout, Mousasi landed a knee to the head that was initially deemed illegal due to Weidman’s hands being on the mat. Upon replay, the knee was deemed legal as Weidman’s hands appeared to be lifted before the knee landed. Replays were thought of to be disallowed in the state of New York.
The NYSAC released a statement saying the use of a replay during UFC 210 was legal (via MMAFighting.com):
“Mr. Weidman was determined to be unable to continue the match due to legal blows received, resulting in a TKO. In New York State, it has been held that the Commission may review video evidence in order to meet its obligation to render correct determinations and act in the best interest of the sport. After the referee initially ruled the strikes from Mr. Mousasi illegal, he consulted with the alternate referee during the physician assessment of Mr. Weidman and determined that the knee strikes by Mousasi were not illegal. During the examination of Mr. Weidman by Commission medical staff, it was determined he was medically unfit to continue and the referee ruled a TKO victory in favor of Mr. Mousasi.”
