UFC Orlando: Pros React to Jeremy Stephens Punishing Yet Controversial Finish of Josh Emmett

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Jeremy Stephens UFC
Jeremy Stephens Credit: Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com

Jeremy Stephens scored a punishing, yet controversial finish of Josh Emmett in the main event at UFC Orlando on Saturday. So how did the pros react?

UFC on FOX 28 took place Saturday in Orlando, FL, with a card that was as balanced as you’re likely to find in the UFC. No one fight really stood out, but most were solid on paper, and several delivered in the end. From Mike Perry being bloodied by Max Griffin, to Sam Alvey’s crushing knockout of Marcin Prachnio, UFC Orlando was a fun card.

The main event, meanwhile, was a violent affair. In the first round, Josh Emmett dropped Jeremy Stephens, and looked to have won the round. Things were certainly going his way, but then, round two happened. Things changed in an instant, and a big — but controversial — finish followed. Stephens rocked Emmett, dropping him. Stephens followed up with a number of elbows, at least two of which looked to be illegal blows to the back of the head. Referee Big Dan Miragliotta, however, allowed to action to continue. Next, an apparent illegal knee was thrown, although it grazed Emmett at best, and the downed fighter was moving during the sequence. Either way, Emmett was likely finished, but the illegal blows added a little controversy to the affair.

Although Florida has adopted the most recent iteration of the Unified Rules of MMA, video replay was not available at the event. And either way, it’s unclear whether anything would change. Fighters were just as split on the finish as fans were — and you can see their reactions below!

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