UFC light heavyweight's Ion Cutelaba plans to appeal his loss at UFC Norfolk, which many fans have deemed to be one of the worst stoppage's in the history of the sport. Speaking to ESPN, Cutelaba admitted to playing possum during his fight against Magomed Ankalaev, a tactic that ultimately backfired as referee Kevin MacDonald stopped the fight just 38 seconds in.
Replays showed that Cutelaba blocked most of the incoming strikes, but his wobbling — which he said was all an act — is what the referee was concerned with. The controversial stoppage drew boos from the crowd and an immediate protest from Cutelaba, but it was too late.
An animated Cutelaba explained his strategy to ESPN and later tweeted that he was planning to appeal the decision to the commission on Monday morning.
”When it’s two fighters on this level and they came here to fight and show the world a good fight, it doesn’t matter, one round, three rounds, 40 seconds – let them fight. That referee, he doesn’t know how to do that. They have to (have) another referee to control this kind of fight. I came all the way from Moldova, 14 or 15, to show the world I am the best, and the referee didn’t leave me to fight. Every (strike) that my opponent did, I controlled it. When the referee stopped the fight, I was countering. This was a part of the game plan, and the referee thought I fell. But that was part of the game plan. ”When they stopped it, I was fighting him.”
With such an egregious stoppage, the UFC might have no other choice but to run it back. Cutelaba clearly wants the rematch and Ankalaev said after the fight that he'd be open to it as well.