In the co-main event of UFC 300, a historic all-China battle between women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang and top contender Yan Xiaonan had a controversial moment at the end of the first round. As Zhang locked in a tight RNC on Xiaonan in the final seconds, it appeared the challenger briefly lost consciousness before the bell sounded.
However, the referee allowed the action to continue into the second round despite Xiaonan seeming to be out cold for a moment. This did not sit well with grappling pioneer Garry Tonon, who blasted the UFC’s referees during his social media post.
“Are we not understanding the level of problem that this is?” an exasperated Tonon exclaimed. “Imagine somebody just got viciously [knocked] face first asleep on the canvas and then we’re just like, yeah, get up. Just do round two. Like, shouldn’t our corner be furious right now?”
Tonon could hardly believe what he was watching, questioning how nobody involved saw the need to step in after such a concerning moment. “It was so obvious in the replay…how is nobody like being like, ‘Man, we got to call this off immediately.’ This is crazy.”
SHE WAS OUT, BUT SHE’LL CONTINUE!! 🔥 #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/EEjncJTF5f
— Combat Media (@CombatMedias) April 14, 2024
Despite Xiaonan’s brief loss of consciousness, she was able to make it back to her corner after the first round. The challenger went on to have her moments over the next four rounds, but ultimately fell short on the scorecards in the historic title fight against Zhang.
Still, Tonon’s criticism raises valid safety concerns about allowing fighters to continue after a possible knock-out situation, even if temporary. His voice adds to the ongoing discussion around referee stoppages and fighter health in mixed martial arts.
