Experienced Featherweight fighter William Gomis took on Yanis Ghemmouri, who was making his UFC debut this Saturday at UFC Paris. The duo is from France, and the fight being in Paris attracted support for both fighters. However, Gomis was the clear favorite, as he was on an 11-win streak before this against Ghemmouri.
He increased the number by defeating his opponent in the third round of the fight in Paris, but the way this win came about brought a lot of controversy with it.
There was not much action in the first round, as both fighters looked calm and composed. The duo traded some kicks, and in the final moments of the round, Gomis hit a couple of shots that connected well. In the following round, Gomis earned some points early on by delivering a straight left punch and unleashing powerful leg kicks.
Legal or low blow? 🤔 #UFCParis pic.twitter.com/eU1Z5TArWE
— UFC (@ufc) September 2, 2023
Sustaining considerable damage, Ghemmouri attempted a takedown, but he ended up with his head caught in a guillotine choke for a good amount of time. Ghemmouri briefly asserted control in the clinch, but Gomis eventually managed to break free from what looked like a dangerous choke.
In the final minute of the round, the duo again traded some kicks, and Gomis concluded the round impressively with a spinning body kick that connected.
In the final round, William Gomis launched a body kick that looked like it hit the opponent’s belt line. However, it may have touched and then moved Ghemmouri’s cup. The referee stopped the fight immediately, and William was eventually declared the winner by TKO.
Fans react to William Gomis’ controversial victory at UFC Paris.
Understandably, fans were not happy with the referee’s decision to stop the fight and declare Gomis the winner instead of opting for a timeout. One might argue that William Gomis was winning the fight anyway, as he had much more significant strikes to his name than Ghemmouri, but the way the fight ended shocked many.
Criticizing the main card match-up and the referee, a fan wrote, “This fight was a joke!” HOW CAN THESE 2 BE IN A UFC MAIN CARD? AND THIS REF!!! WHAT A JOKE.” Another fan angrily demanded that strict action be taken against the referee for the stoppage: “This ref should be fired after this fight, and he should never ever ref another fight.”
William Gomis vs. Yanis Ghemmouri ended controversially at #UFCParis
Gomis landed a kick and was declared the winner by TKO after the referee waved off the fight, but Ghemmouri felt the kick was low. pic.twitter.com/uERsCCofUf
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) September 2, 2023
Another MMA fan disagreed with the referee’s decision to call the fight off, as they commented. “Waiving the fight was a bad call. It wasn’t low. It hit his stomach and shorts and jerked his cup so hard it hit his n*ts.”
Former UFC Champion and commentator Michael Bisping summed it up well when he said, “An unsatisfactory ending”. What do you think about the stoppage by the referee? Tell us in the comments.