UFC Fight Night Oklahoma ended in controversy after referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the main event fight between Kevin Lee and Michael Chiesa a bit too early. Lee had Chiesa in what looked like a fight finishing rear naked choke that had Chiesa blacking out, but rather than wait until Michael tapped or went to sleep, Yamasaki stepped in a second or two early and called the fight. That led to Chiesa popping back up to his feet and complaining about the stoppage.
And sure, he has a point … it was an early stoppage. But on the other hand, Chiesa was halfway towards unconsciousness when the ref stepped in. His hands weren’t battling the choke any more and he had that glassy far away look in his eyes. Early? A bit. Did it change the outcome of the fight? No it did not.
The official end of the fight came at 4:30 seconds of round 1.
