Controversial MMA finish gets a ruling from California officials

PhumiNkuta's bid to overturn the lone loss of his professionalcareer did not go in his favor.The California State Athletic Commission on Monday denied Nkuta'sappeal to overturn his technical submission defeat against AdrianoMoraes at MVP: RondaRousey vs. Gina Carano.Nkuta argued that Moraes held a fight-ending choke beyond the finalhorn and that referee Herb Deanmishandled the sequence.However, the commission ruled there was insufficient evidence tochange the official result.

California State Athletic Commission denies Phumi Nkuta appealafter Adriano Moraes fight

On May 16, Nkuta and Moraes clashed in a flyweight bout on the maincard of MVP's Rousey vs. Carano-headlined event.Near the end of the fight, Moraes had Nkuta in a choke. As thefinal bell rang, the former held on to the choke for what Nkutaclaims was around 2.15 seconds after the horn. The official resultwas a technical submission victory for the former OneChampionship titleholder.Nkuta then filed an appeal to overturn the loss, claiming that hewas still conscious when the final bell rang, but went out aftertime had expired because Moraes held the choke. He further arguedthat the fight should have gone to the judges' scorecards, whereNkuta believes he did enough to secure a decision victory.CSAC executive director Andy Fosterdid not deny that the choke was held for longer than it wasnecessary, but said that there was no definitive evidence thatNkuta was not unconscious at the bell."I bet I've watched it 80 times now. We've watched it over andover. I'm still unsure when he went unconscious. When we're notsure about something, it needs to be clear and convincing evidenceif this commission is going to flip a fight, just to be veryclear," Foster said of the judgement (via MMA Junkie).Nkuta, who traveled from Las Vegas to Sacramento to attend Monday'shearing in person, said that he remembers hearing the final horn.The commission did not respond directly to these arguments fromNkuta and his attorney, Lance Spaude, apart from a brief comment bycommissioner Dr. AnnaMaria De Mars, a former judo champion and themother of Ronda Rousey."We ask the officials to make a judgement call under very difficultcircumstances," Dr. De Mars said. "You're there. There are millionsof people watching you. To change somebody's decision, it has to bevery egregious. I'm sitting here thinking about choking people andhow fast your reaction time is. Is holding something for twoseconds, when he's under just as much pressure as you, a realegregious, deliberate foul? I just don't see it that way."