Josh Emmett: Knät i huvudet var olagligt!

I helgen möttes de båda knockoutartisterna Jeremy Stephens och Josh Emmett på UFC on FOX 28. Stephens vann matchen genom ett brutalt avslut som inkluderade nävar och armbågar såväl som knän. Tyvärr överskuggas Stephens fina insats delvis av att flera slag i avslutningssekvensen såg ut att vara olagliga. Allra tydligast var ett knä Stephens skickade iväg när Emmett hade båda sina knän, samt en hand, i kontakt med mattan. Knät såg ut att delvis träffa Emmetts huvud och ett par av armbågarna tycktes även träffa honom i bakhuvudet.

Emmett, som tänker överklaga resultatet, anser att domaren Dan Miragliotta borde ha pausat matchen efter det olagliga knät. Så här sa han till MMAFighting:

I’m not saying [Stephens] is a dirty fighter at all, but after watching it, I just wish I had more of a fair chance. I wish Dan would have done his job. If he would have stopped the fight, I would have gotten a little time to recover or they maybe took a point away from Stephens. It could have been a completely different outcome.

Emmett menar att det inte spelar någon roll hur hårt knät träffade, det var olagligt oavsett.

I didn’t know what hit me, but it definitely skimmed me after watching it and coming down. And regardless of the new rules or the old rules, I was still a downed opponent, because both knees were down. Even if one hand or two hands was up, it was still an illegal blow. It was a fight, I know he wasn’t trying to do that in the heat of the battle. But man, there’s a reason why there’s rules in place. So I think they should have implemented them. It’s frustrating now. But it is what it is.

Emmett hoppas att han ska få en rematch mot Stephens så de kan få ett ordentligt, mindre kontroversiellt, slut på matchen.

I would like a rematch, I won the first round, I was winning the second round, doing really well. He caught me just perfect, little left hook on the chin. I was composing, getting back up and then I just felt like some of those illegal blows made it a lot worse for me.