Phumi Nkuta: Adriano Moraes ‘pulled a Rousimar Palhares on me,’ adamant he was not unconscious at final bell
MMA Fighting • • sports
Key Points:
- Phumi Nkuta suffered a controversial technical submission loss to Adriano Moraes at the debut MVP MMA event, despite being ahead on the judges' scorecards before the final round.
- Moraes applied a rear-naked choke that referee Herb Dean ruled rendered Nkuta unconscious before the final bell, though Nkuta and replays suggest he was still conscious when the fight ended and was choked out after the bell.
- Nkuta criticized Moraes for holding the choke too long, comparing it to Rousimar Palhares' notorious behavior, and expressed disappointment over the referee's decision but refrained from harshly criticizing Dean.
- Nkuta's team has filed an appeal with the California State Athletic Commission, hoping to have the loss overturned to a no-contest or a win based on the fight's scoring prior to the submission.
- Despite the loss, Nkuta gained valuable experience, earned Fight of the Night honors with an extra $100,000, and remains confident in his status as a top flyweight contender.