In a stunning turn of events during the second round at LFA 203, Brazilian jiu-jitsu star Bia Mesquita maintained her undefeated professional record following a disqualification victory over Hope Chase.
The incident occurred when Chase, who was in a defensive position on her back, delivered two upkicks while Mesquita was advancing. While the first strike appeared to be more of a pushing motion, the second kick, delivered with the heel, made direct contact with Mesquita’s orbital area with significant force.
Officials reviewed the sequence carefully before making their decision. “There was the one right to the throat and then to the orbital,” noted the commentary team during the replay review. “I’m not too mad at this one. It’s kind of more of a push in my eyes, that left one. But the right one was definitely a kick with the heel.”
The ruling adds to a recent trend of matches being impacted by rule infractions in major MMA events. “We’ve seen a lot of fouls lately,” the commentary team observed, referencing similar incidents in recent high-profile contests.
With this victory, Mesquita improves her professional record to 4-0, though certainly not in the manner she had hoped. The Brazilian continues her impressive transition from decorated grappling champion to mixed martial artist, while Chase will need to regroup after this unfortunate ending.
