Junior dos Santos has appealed his UFC 256 loss to Ciryl Gane.
On the main card of the pay-per-view, dos Santos was looking to snap his three-fight losing streak. In the second round, Gane hurt him and as he was going for the finish, he landed some elbows that dropped him and subsequently ended the fight. However, the elbows were close to landing on the back of his head, but JDS believes they did and filed an appeal.
“We have not and do not allege that the referee did not see the foul; rather, he saw the blow to the back of Junior’s head, but as a result of his misinterpretation of the rule, he wrongly failed to call it a foul, and he wrongly awarded a victory to the offending contestant, Cyril Gane,” Dos Santos attorney Ana Guedes sent to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (via MMAFighting).
Photos from Junior dos Santos from three days after the fight were also released where he had bruising on the back of his head and neck. For the former UFC heavyweight champ and his team, they believe that cements the fact the elbows were illegal.
“There is no doubt that the elbow was the initial point of contact of the blow, and where Gane’s power struck – precisely, squarely, directly on the illegal striking zone,” the letter added.
The hope for Junior dos Santos and his team is to have the fight overturned to a no-contest. However, if recent appeals are any evidence, it is unlikely the result of the fight will get overturned.
Regardless if the appeal gets denied or not, dos Santos was also released after the loss and is currently a free agent. It is uncertain what promotion he will sign with.
Do you think Junior dos Santos’ appeal should be overturned to a no-contest?
