Overview

• During the second round at PFL World Tournament 8 in Atlantic City on August 1, referee Giovanna Scano missed Nathan Kelly’s tap to a guillotine choke by Frederik Dupras, allowing the hold to continue for 11 seconds.
• When the fight was finally halted, Dupras’s kick to free himself caused Kelly’s head to strike the canvas as he lay unconscious.
• The submission victory improved Dupras’s record to 9-2, while Kelly dropped to 11-4 in defeat.
• Fans on social media condemned the stoppage as one of the year’s worst and called for Scano to be removed from future bouts.
• The incident has intensified calls for stricter officiating oversight and enhanced fighter safety protocols within the PFL’s elimination-format events.