As the dust has settled from UFC Saudi Arabia and the excitement has died down, UFC 303 takes over as hot news. It’s unfortunate and hard not to forget about a key moment in what could have been a difference in the Shara Magomedov vs. Antonio Trócoli fight.
For a split second, Shara was in danger of being taken down by Trócoli. With the failed takedown, Shara Magomedov went on to take control of Antonio Trócoli’s movement (which began to fade due to fatigue) and get the finish.
We could have moved on from the fence grab, but it affected the outcome of who got performance of the night bonuses. So it is hard to look the other way.
Did Shara Magomedov $50,000?
It was quite shocking to see Shara Magomedov as a recipient of the $50,000 bonus.
Shara Magomedov is a very skilled fighter and to call him a cheater or a dirty fighter is unfair. It’s a human instinct and reaction to grab onto something when we feel like we are falling.
It’s just a simple foul; they happen all the time in MMA but Trócoli deserved better that night.
What made the odd moment during the whole situation was how referee Marc Goddard reacted to the fence grab. Goddard may have had a lapse of judgment and made a mistake.
It is difficult to choose who gets the bonus, there is no denying that. What it comes down to though is fairness after a situation like this.
Jared Gordon vs. Nasrat Haqparast was an exciting fight and should have gotten the bonus over Shara Magomedov. Those two went to war and a fence grab was not the controversial topic of the fight.
Sure, we can move on to the next event and the next, but it is good to always remember moments like these.
Hopefully, the discussion will stay diligent and the punishment will be consistently the same no matter who the ref is.
Fight fans, what is your opinion on blatant fence grabs like this one? Should there be a point deduction? Or should the position be given to the opponent?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
