On Saturday night, in the main event of the UFC’s action-packed stop in Orlando, featherweight knockout artist Jeremy Stephens authored his latest act of brutality, this time at the expensive of Team Alpha Male contender Josh Emmett. Stephen’s knockout win came mid-way through the second round.
Regrettably, Stephens’s victory has been mired in controversy, as several of the blows he landed in the fight ending sequence were thought to be illegal by many fans. The main strike in question was a knee, which seemed to graze Emmett’s head, that was thrown when Emmett was technically still a grounded opponent. Same commenters have also argued a few of the elbows Stephens threw made impact on the back of Emmett’s skull – though this can be partly attributed to Emmett turning into the strikes.
Whatever the case, a report from MMAFighting.com suggests Emmett will be appealing this loss.
It’s difficult to say what will come of this debacle, as referee Dan Miragliotta did not pause the action after the alleged illegal shots, and without access to instant replay, could not have reviewed the exchange anyway.
Though Emmett is appealing his loss, which would seem to imply he’s feeling a little bitter, he actually appears be in very good spirits. Emmett updated his fans on social media on Sunday.
“Just gonna put some ice on it and I’ll be back,” he said in his post. “I appreciate all the kind words and concerns. Hats off to [Jeremy Stephens] you know we will be running that back sometime in the future.”
Do you think Josh Emmett’s loss to Jeremy Stephens is worth appealing?
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/25/2018.