Overview
- Referee Mark Smith paused Ante Delija vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta to consult instant replay for an eye poke, then restarted the bout, and Cortes-Acosta scored a first-round knockout at 3:59.
- Delija posted a five-point Instagram statement saying he was "robbed," disputing the restart, the use of replay after an effective stoppage, and how the pause was handled.
- Cageside commentators Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier questioned the restart, calling the sequence unprecedented and saying production told them such restarts are not permitted.
- Cortes-Acosta said he continued with roughly 20% vision and later reported lingering impairment; a doctor observed a streak inside the eye consistent with a fingernail injury.
- The result stands and follows last week’s Aspinall–Gane no-contest from an eye poke, with UFC leadership indicating a 2026 rematch is expected pending medical clearance and possible procedural review.