“Robbed us of baddest main event” – Early Stoppage accusations ROAR high as Alex Pereira stops Jiri Prochazka to become light heavyweight champion at UFC 295

Explore the intricate details of UFC 295's headline fight. A critical look at the decisions, strategies, and implications of the early stoppage in Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira.

“Robbed us of baddest main event” – Early Stoppage accusations ROAR high as Alex Pereira stops Jiri Prochazka to become light heavyweight champion at UFC 295

Alex Pereira TKO Jiri Prochazka (Image via: X/UFC News)

The UFC 295 main event between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira had an unexpected villain. It was in the form of referee Marc Goddard. All the other fights in the main card ended in a first-round finish. Therefore, many expected the main event to be the same. However, the fight was very competitive throughout the duration of the fight until the early stoppage from the referee.

The first round saw Prochazka suffer brutal leg kick damage that forced him to take down Pereira. Interestingly, the second round saw Prochazka outstriking “Poatan.” The fight ended after Pereira landed a series of elbows on Jiri, who was trying to get a double-leg takedown that eventually made him fall on the canvas. The referee immediately stopped the bout, much to the dismay of commentators Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier.

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In the post-fight interview, Pereira acknowledged the stoppage as timely, as he felt Prochazka had lost consciousness. Before the interview, Pereira exchanged words with Donald Trump. Moreover, Jiri Prochazka confirmed Pereira’s belief that he had been knocked out. However, he believed he could have continued, as his body did not give up.

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It should be noted that English is not Prochazka’s first language. Therefore, what he meant by “knocked out” might not have been the same as what a native English speaker means. Prochazkap previously stated that he was knocked out in the fight against Dominick Reyes when he was actually just rocked.

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Nevertheless, the overwhelming sentiment was that the fight was stopped very early. Joe Rogan felt so disappointed in the stoppage that he even shared his sentiment with Prochazka. However, Rogan, along with Cormier, upon further review of the stoppage, acknowledged the stoppage as the right decision. Moreover, they felt that if the fight had gone on, it could have become a brutal KO.

Social media erupted after Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka ended after an early stoppage from the referee

The UFC 295 main event between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka ended abruptly with a referee’s controversial early stoppage. This decision triggered intense debate on MMA Twitter. Even though both fighters acknowledged the fight as timely, fans on social media were very disappointed with the decision.

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Alex Pereira TKO Jiri Prochazka (Image via: X/Sports Booking)

See how the fans reacted to the early stoppage on X (Formerly Twitter).

In the aftermath of the bout, Alex Pereira challenged Israel Adesanya to move up in weight and fight him at light heavyweight. Adesnaya is on a self-imposed hiatus, and it remains to be seen whether he would respond. Prochazka, on the other hand, was gracious in defeat.

Nevertheless, the night belongs to Alex Pereira, as he made history at MSG. “Poatan” is now undefeated at MSG and is currently the only two-division champion in two different combat spots.

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