Coach breaks silence on highly controversial UFC 312 knockout, blames referee for early stoppage but admits fighter made a grave mistake

By Manjit Sarmah

Modified Feb 10, 2025 11:56 GMT

Coach weighs in on controversial UFC 312 knockout. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

At UFC 312, India’s Anshul Jubli suffered a shocking 19‑second knockout. Returning to the octagon after a 470‑day hiatus, Jubli faced local favorite Quillan Salkilld, who ended the bout with one precise punch.

A powerful right hand sent Jubli crashing to the canvas, forcing the referee to immediately halt the fight. The sudden stoppage has stirred controversy, with some critics questioning whether the contest was ended prematurely.

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In a post‑fight statement, his coach, Siddharth Singh, defended Jubli’s performance despite the defeat. Referencing notable bouts such as Frankie Edgar versus Gray Maynard and Cheick Kongo versus Pat Barry, Singh argued that the stoppage robbed Jubli of a chance to recover:

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"I would like to give references to two fights, first one is Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard. This fight is very important to take note of, this is a fight from 2011. In the first round, Gray Maynard hurt Frankie Edgar thrice. But the fight was allowed to proceed by the referee. Later, Frankie Edgar, despite being hurt, comes back and wins the fight. The second fight reference is of Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry. This fight is important because, in this fight, Pat Barry hurt Cheick Kongo very badly. But it was Cheick Kongo who knocked out Barry later on."

The coach admitted that the fighter had made a grave mistake:

"Yes, he did make a mistake that he got caught with a punch...There's so much hard work for a fighter, that he wants to fight, he wants to show his skillset. But anyway, it is what it is, Anshul will be back, He is motivated, he's hungry and I guarantee you that next time you watch Anshul, he'll be better than ever before."

Check out coach Siddharth Singh's comments below:

Merab Dvalishvili chimes in on Anshul Jubli's KO loss at UFC 312

After Anshul Jubli suffered a rapid 19-second knockout at UFC 312, controversy erupted over an early stoppage. UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili expressed his frustration in an X post, stating: