Sterling, Dvalishvili blast referee for late-bell choke in MVP fight

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and current titleholder Merab Dvalishvili have blasted the officiating in a recent MVP bout, claiming a referee's failure to enforce the bell cost Phumi Nkuta a decision victory.

The controversy centers on the final moments of Nkuta's fight, where his opponent locked in a choke as the round expired. Sterling and Dvalishvili both contend the hold continued roughly two seconds past the bell, enough time to render Nkuta unconscious when the referee should have already intervened. "Ref should have broken it up at bell and the fight would have gone to decision," Sterling wrote on social media, per Sherdog. "Again— case of bad reffing… costs…"

Sterling draws comparison to own controversial finish

Sterling compared the sequence to his own bout with Ricky Simon, suggesting Nkuta was still conscious when the buzzer sounded. Dvalishvili echoed the criticism, pointing to the delay between the bell and the referee's action as the decisive factor. "Anyone that knows how chokes work, can see him holding the choke for a clear 2 seconds past the bell, and not listening to the ref, which is how he was able to put Phumi to sleep," Dvalishvili posted.

The finish gave Nkuta's opponent a stoppage win instead of sending the fight to the judges. Neither Sterling nor Dvalishvili identified the specific MVP card or opponent involved, but both placed blame squarely on the officiating crew for not protecting a fighter at the horn.

No word yet from MVP or the referee in question on whether the result will be reviewed.

Source: sherdog.com