UFC 291: Controversy as Joe Rogan Accuses Fighter of Faking Groin Strike in Prelim Fight

Should the UFC be harder on fake fouls in fights?

UFC 291 has kicked off with a bang, but the third fight of the night has been marred by some controversy. Jake Matthews vs. Darrius Flowers took an odd turn in round two after Matthews launched a teep that punted Flowers directly in the liver, yet curiously, Flowers tumbled to the canvas as if he had been hit in the groin.

After seeing the slow-motion replay, UFC commentator Joe Rogan was bemused by the fighter's reaction, "That's clean," he remarked. "That's to the gut."

"The toes got into the gut. That's a clean shot!" Rogan rebuked his co-commentator's claims of the heel of the foot hitting the groin. "The referee hasn't seen the replay," Rogan continued. "The weapon area, the ball of the foot went right into the gut."

Flowers took a three-minute break from the action to recover, though if the referee considered the kick legal it could have been considered a TKO for Matthews. The crowd began to boo the decision.

"So what happens now?" Rogan remarked. "Because we're looking at this and it's clearly a legal blow from our perspective." Rogan continued to argue his case as the action resumed. Fortunately for Matthews, he'd finish the fight with a deep rear-naked choke just minutes later.

A finalização do australiano Jake Matthews sobre o americano Darrius Flowers no UFC 291. https://t.co/ejbBm2vrbl

— MMA Melotto (@MMAmelotto) July 30, 2023

Rogan took the opportunity to bring up the 'groin strike' in the post-fight interview.

"First of all, congratulations on an outstanding performance, and second of all, congratulations on not getting distracted with that controversy with the kick," Rogan lauded Matthews. "From us, from our position cageside it looked like a legal kick." Matthews remained consummate, however, and backed the referee's decision.

While this may appear inconsequential, it does raise an important question: Are there adequate consequences for feigning fouls in UFC fights? Flowers had the potential to recover and possibly win the fight, even after enduring what seemed like a fight-ending combination.

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