Overview
- Referee Mark Smith paused the co-main event for an unintentional eye poke by Ante Delija, consulted instant replay, restarted the bout, and Waldo Cortes-Acosta scored a knockout at 3:59 of Round 1.
- Cortes-Acosta said his vision dropped to about 20% and post-fight exams showed visible eye damage consistent with a fingernail scraping inside the eye.
- Delija posted that he was "robbed," alleging irregular use of replay, an improper stoppage, and an extended recovery period for Cortes-Acosta during the review.
- Commentators Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier questioned the decision to restart, as Nevada officials reviewed footage before allowing the fight to continue.
- The result stands as a KO win for Cortes-Acosta, the controversy follows last week’s Aspinall–Gane no-contest, a 2026 rematch is expected per Dana White, and calls for clearer foul and replay protocols are intensifying.