The primary of UFC 251’s three title fights on Saturday was an entertaining affair till the ultimate spherical, at which level Petr Yan rained blow after blow on Jose Aldo to the purpose that the announcers couldn’t consider the combat was nonetheless going.
By the tip of his combat, Aldo was down on his knees, guarding his head and doing little else to cease Yan from hitting him with painful pictures. By important strikes, the ultimate spherical was absurdly one-sided.
The combat was finally stopped, with Yan taking the vacant UFC bantamweight championship.
Naturally, there was loads of criticism for referee Leon Roberts, who had loads of alternatives to cease the combat. Aldo, among the many most revered veterans in MMA, was clearly completed.
Fighters and media alike had been in disbelief that the combat continued so long as it did.
That is mindless. Aldo is finished. Cease the combat.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 12, 2020
Wow what did Aldo do to this refereee???? STOP THE DAMN FIGHT.
— Funky (@Benaskren) July 12, 2020
Wow that ref mustn’t ref fights!!
— Funky (@Benaskren) July 12, 2020
Late ass stoppage
— Edmen Shahbazyan (@edmenshahbazyan) July 12, 2020
Ive all the time argued to let fighters combat their method out once they’ve been caught and making an attempt to get well. However when a fighter has no extra combat in him and is simply too proud to faucet you need to save him! #UFC251
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) July 12, 2020
And there it’s. Roberts FINALLY stops it. Petr Yan is your new UFC bantamweight champion. And that was a DISGRACE by referee Leon Roberts permitting Aldo to take that a lot punishment
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) July 12, 2020
Horrible, horrible, inexcusable choice by referee Leon Roberts to permit Aldo to get pummeled that lengthy with such arduous pictures. #UFC251
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) July 12, 2020
That referee didn’t shield Aldo. I’m advantageous giving a man an opportunity to combat again, however the ref has a job to guard a fighter from pointless punishment. Bisping and Anik shouldn’t must beg.
— Dave Sholler (@DaveSholler) July 12, 2020
Aldo deserves higher than that, get that ref outta right here.
— Gerald Meerschaert (@The_Real_GM3) July 12, 2020
Has an MMA referee ever been trending for an excellent purpose?
— Dann Stupp (@DannStupp) July 12, 2020
Omg 😳 that was 1,000 strikes stopped too late. #UFC251
— Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) July 12, 2020
If that occurred in 1997 that clip would have been utilized in makes an attempt to ban the game. Atrocious officiating.
— Dave Doyle (@davedoylemma) July 12, 2020
It’s wonderful how usually the literal final particular person on earth who realizes a UFC combat ought to be stopped is the man in control of doing that.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) July 12, 2020

Jose Aldo landed one important strike in three and a half minutes within the last spherical of his UFC 251 match. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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