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Controversial MMA finish gets a ruling from California officials

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1 month ago

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Controversial MMA finish gets a ruling from California officials
Phumi
Nkuta’s bid to overturn the lone loss of his professional
career did not go in his favor.

The California State Athletic Commission on Monday denied Nkuta’s
appeal to overturn his technical submission defeat against Adriano
Moraes at
MVP: Ronda
Rousey vs. Gina Carano.
Nkuta argued that Moraes held a fight-ending choke beyond the final
horn and that referee Herb Dean
mishandled the sequence.

However, the commission ruled there was insufficient evidence to
change the official result.

California State Athletic Commission denies Phumi Nkuta appeal
after Adriano Moraes fight

On May 16, Nkuta and Moraes clashed in a flyweight bout on the main
card of MVP's Rousey vs. Carano-headlined event.

Near the end of the fight, Moraes had Nkuta in a choke. As the
final bell rang, the former held on to the choke for what Nkuta
claims was around 2.15 seconds after the horn. The official result
was a technical submission victory for the former One
Championship titleholder.

Nkuta then filed an appeal to overturn the loss, claiming that he
was still conscious when the final bell rang, but went out after
time had expired because Moraes held the choke. He further argued
that the fight should have gone to the judges' scorecards, where
Nkuta believes he did enough to secure a decision victory.

CSAC executive director Andy Foster
did not deny that the choke was held for longer than it was
necessary, but said that there was no definitive evidence that
Nkuta was not unconscious at the bell.

“I bet I’ve watched it 80 times now. We’ve watched it over and
over. I’m still unsure when he went unconscious. When we’re not
sure about something, it needs to be clear and convincing evidence
if this commission is going to flip a fight, just to be very
clear,†Foster said of the judgement (via MMA Junkie).

Nkuta, who traveled from Las Vegas to Sacramento to attend Monday’s
hearing in person, said that he remembers hearing the final horn.
The commission did not respond directly to these arguments from
Nkuta and his attorney, Lance Spaude, apart from a brief comment by
commissioner Dr. AnnaMaria De Mars, a former judo champion and the
mother of Ronda Rousey.

“We ask the officials to make a judgement call under very difficult
circumstances,†Dr. De Mars said. “You’re there. There are millions
of people watching you. To change somebody’s decision, it has to be
very egregious. I’m sitting here thinking about choking people and
how fast your reaction time is. Is holding something for two
seconds, when he’s under just as much pressure as you, a real
egregious, deliberate foul? I just don’t see it that way.â€

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MMA

Alex Apodaca reacts to historic DWCS upset over -6000 favorite Bella Mir

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1 hour ago

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August 26, 2026

By

Alex Apodaca reacts to historic DWCS upset over -6000 favorite Bella Mir
Alex
Apodaca didn't want to be affected by the odds going into her

Dana White's Contender Series outing against Bella
Mir.

Apodaca (5-1) took on Mir (4-1), daughter of former
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Frank Mir, in a
bantamweight tilt on
Week 3 of DWCS 2026. Mir was a -6000 favorite, the biggest in
DWCS history, going into her clash against Apodaca, a +1200
underdog.

However, it was clear that the odds were off as soon as Apodaca
defended the first takedown.

Alex Apodaca earned a UFC contract after beating Bella Mir in
the biggest upset in DWCS history

Apodaca gave Mir all she could handle in a highly competitive
affair, establishing control in the final round to earn a unanimous
decision victory. The former earned a UFC contract for the biggest
upset in DWCS history, and after the bout, she revealed that she
avoided looking at the odds to stay focused on the high-profile
matchup.

“I didn’t want to look at the odds before; I knew they were some
bullsh*t,†Apodaca said in her post-fight interview. “I just truly
believe if I stay present and in the moment that I can see
everything and nobody is going to beat me. Cause I’m pretty
technical, and I’m strong as f*ck.â€

Notably, while giving Apodaca the contract, UFC CEO Dana
White admitted that he was heavily biased towards Mir, having
been involved in the latter's combat sports career.

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MMA

DWCS winner Joseph Kropschot lands UFC debut just weeks after earning contract

Published

2 hours ago

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August 26, 2026

By

DWCS winner Joseph Kropschot lands UFC debut just weeks after earning contract
Joseph
Kropschot won’t have to wait long for his
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

The
Dana White's Contender Series Season 10
Week 1 contract winner has been booked to face Nick Klein
at a UFC
Fight Night on Oct. 31 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Joseph Kropschot faces Nick Klein at UFC Fight Night on Oct.
31

Kropschot earned his UFC contract on Aug. 11, defeating Jonathan
Kunneman by unanimous decision after three rounds on the
opening episode of the 2026 Contender Series season. He boasts a
9-3 professional record in mixed martial arts and has won his last
five fights. His contract-winning effort on DWCS marks the lone
decision win of his career.

Meanwhile, Klein owns a 6-3 professional record and has not
competed since a technical knockout loss to Andrey
Pulyaev in August 2025. He lost to Mansur
Abdul-Malik in his UFC debut after earning a contract on DWCS
in 2024.

The upcoming matchup gives Kropschot an opportunity to build on his
Contender Series debut and officially begin his UFC tenure. For
Klein, it offers a chance to snap a two-fight losing streak and
record his first win in the UFC.

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MMA

Sean Clancy Jr. explains why he waited until Round 2 to finish Gary Balletto Jr.

Published

3 hours ago

on

August 26, 2026

By

Sean Clancy Jr. explains why he waited until Round 2 to finish Gary Balletto Jr.
Sean
Clancy Jr. claims he could have finished his
Dana White's Contender Series bout sooner than he did.

Clancy Jr. (9-0) took on Gary
Balletto Jr. (11-4) in a welterweight clash on
Week 3 of DWCS 2026. Clancy Jr. took Balletto Jr. down in the
second round and blasted him with elbows to earn a stoppage and an

Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

Sean Clancy Jr. says he sought experience before finishing Gary
Balletto Jr.

Clancy Jr. says he felt Balletto Jr.'s face get crushed between his
elbow and the mat.

“I’m buzzing, yeah, I’ve always wanted to put something open like
that,†Clancy Jr. said in his post-fight interview. “It was, aye,
it’s something I’ve wanted for a while. I remember being so
present; it just, as soon as I put it down, I just felt his face
just get crushed in between my elbow and the mat. It was
phenomenal. Just split wide open. It’s the first time I’ve done it,
but aye, here’s to many more.â€

The 23-year-old also claims he chose to gain some striking
experience against Balletto Jr. in the first round. “The One†is
confident he can finish anyone the way he finished his counterpart
in the second frame.

“Well, I’m only a 23-year-old boy, like people forget that,†Clancy
Jr. added. “Forget that I’m looking to try and pick up experience
in there. That’s where he’s good, so I chose to spend a little bit
of time there with him and just see, just rack up experience and
stuff, you know? But I did in the second round, I can do that to
absolutely anyone. I know I could have done that to him in the
first round. Just wanted to have fun. Pick up the experience.â€

Clancy Jr., a former
Cage Warriors interim welterweight champion, has finished all
nine of his career wins so far.

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