"No it wasn't but okay, whatever you want to say" - 'Big' John McCarthy replies to people who feel Brian Ortega's shoulder popped out because of a submission

'Big' John McCarthy weighed in on UFC Long Island's controversial main event that saw Brian Ortega's shoulder dislocate, handing Yair Rodriguez the victory.

There has been debate amongst fans about the manner in which Ortega was injured. 'T-City' was on the ground attempting to wrap 'El Pantera' in a submission before his shoulder popped out. Some fans believe it was a submission from Rodriguez and not a freak accident.

Former octagon referee and Bellator color commentator John McCarthy disagrees that it was a submission from Yair Rodriguez, admitting he's seen plenty of fighters' shoulders dislocate throughout his career:

"His shoulder popped out. I've seen it happen too many times, it's part of the sport. It's an injury. I've seen people out there saying 'No, that was a submission!' No it wasnt, but okay, whatever you want to say."

McCarthy's co-host and retired UFC fighter Josh Thomson added:

"It's very unfortunate what happened. Oh, man. It was shaping up to be a good fight though. What I took away from that is that Yair is fast. He was fast, he was touching him. He was landing some clean hard shots... It was a significant difference."

Post the fight, Ortega appeared understandably deflated but congratulatory to his opponent. The 31-year-old hoped that Rodriguez would do him the courtesy of running the fight back as he and the fans felt robbed of what was shaping up to be an excellent main-event.

Catch the full episode of WEIGHING IN here:

---

Yair Rodriguez believes he felt Brian Ortega tap

Fans were left bewildered at the UFC Long Island's main event when it appeared that Yair Rodriguez let go of Britan Ortega for no reason. Replays then showed the moment when Ortega's shoulder popped out of place, ending the fight and rewarding Rodriguez with the victory.

'El Pantera' has hit back at fans, however, who don't believe his victory was a submission. The 29-year-old revealed that he felt Brian Ortega tap out, which is why he let go:

"Take a close look at the video. He [Brian Ortega], like, tapped once. He tapped once, and then I realize, like, he released the pressure, so I let go. You can take a look at the video, and you'll see the quick tap... I let go, and I saw he was in pain, so I didn't want to keep on punching or anything."

The bout was officially registered as a TKO victory for Rodriguez and not a submission, meaning it's very unlikely that Ortega tapped out.

Fans will hope the pair can run the fight back, but Josh Emmett has also been named a potential opponent for the 29-year-old.

Watch Yair Rodriguez's full interview here: