Overview

• Kiefer Crosbie was hit by an illegal knee from Taiyilake Nueraji, referee Marc Goddard paused the bout, deducted two points, then restarted the fight before Nueraji won by TKO at 3:33 of Round 1.
• Crosbie posted on Instagram that he felt concussed and confused, asked why he did not get five minutes to recover, and called the decision to resume the action a ridiculous call.
• Under the Unified Rules, a cageside doctor may use up to five minutes to assess an illegal blow, but the fouled fighter is not entitled to that full period and the referee should restart as soon as practical if the fighter is cleared.
• Neither Goddard nor the UFC had issued a public response in the coverage reviewed, while discussion over officiating at the event also included criticism of Herb Dean from coach Ray Longo.
• The result leaves Crosbie 0-3 in the UFC with three first-round finishes against him, and it bolsters Nueraji’s debut with a continued finishing streak.