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UFC 295 Reaction: MMA Community Debates Over Alex Pereira Finish

Did Marc Goddard step in too early, halting the UFC 295 main event?

Zain Bando

UFC 295 Reaction: MMA Community Debates Over Alex Pereira Finish
UFC 295 Reaction: MMA Community Debates Over Alex Pereira Finish /

Alex Pereira became the first fighter in UFC history to win a belt in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions in one year. His second-round KO of ex-champion Jiri Prochazka, returning from shoulder surgery, ended in controversy.

After a closely contested first round, Pereira continued to utilize his leg kicks to stiffen the attacks of the famed Polish striker, which was the beginning of the end.

As Prochazka shot in for a takedown, Pereira dropped thunderous elbows to the side of his head, causing Prochazka to lose his balance. As Prochazka fell, as is common in MMA, follow-up shots were to come next, but referee Marc Goddard prevented it.

The fight was called off at 4:08 of Round 2, as Pereira became the new UFC light heavyweight champion and the third belt-holder since June 2022.

The MMA world was split on the way the fight ended, as evidenced by the overwhelming reactions on social media from various fighters.

RELATED: UFC 295 Video: Tom Aspinall Knocks Out Sergei Pavlovich to Win Interim Gold

Israel Adesanya Mocks Alex Pereira

Although it wasn't directly related to the stoppage, Adesanya, who lost his UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland in September, took a shot at his long-time rival using a famous song lyric from the movie "Frozen."

"Let it go," Adesanya tweeted just after midnight ET.

The tweet has gone viral at press time, arguably taking the spotlight away from the light heavyweight champion. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen if the pair will ever compete again, having fought four times in MMA and kickboxing.

Alexander Rakic Gives His Two Cents on The Stoppage

Alexander Rakic, scheduled to face Jan Błachowicz at UFC 297 in January, disagreed with the stoppage entirely.

"This was an early stoppage," Rakic tweeted. "Feel sorry for @jiri_bjp #ufc295

Barring what happens with Jamahal Hill's injury timeline, the Błachowicz-Rakic winner could be in line for a shot at Pereira.

Alan Jouban Praises Marc Goddard As a Referee, But Not at UFC 295

ESPN analyst and long-time UFC veteran Alan Jouban defended Prochazka's desire to continue to compete.

"Mark is one of the absolute best," Jouban said. "But you have to let the whole situation unfold. Especially in a fight of this magnitude." #UFC295

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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