"That could’ve been terrible" - Fans blast referee for allegedly failing to spot unconscious fighter during UFC Paris kickstarter fight

The first fight of the recently concluded UFC Paris event ended controversially as a fighter on the card was choked out unconscious during his bout, which the referee Loic Pora failed to notice. This incident sparked a major debate on the internet among MMA fans.

Some bashed the referee, asking him to get fired, while others argued that Pora could not have been aware of the incident.

The fighter in question is Bolaji Oki, who kicked off UFC Paris this past Saturday in a lightweight bout against Chris Duncan. Oki made his promotional debut earlier this year at UFC Vegas 86 with a split-decision win over Timmy Cuamba.

Meanwhile, Duncan was on a two-fight win streak in the promotion before losing to Manuel Torres at UFC Fight Night 237.

During their fight, Oki attempted to take Duncan to the canvas, but the Scottish fighter caught his opponent's neck and successfully executed a guillotine choke. The 31-year-old realized Oki had already lost consciousness as he tightened his grip.

When Pora discovered the Belgian was out cold despite Duncan releasing the choke, he called an end to the contest, declaring the latter as the winner.

Check out the post below [Post courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]:

Fans soon rushed to the comments section to share their reactions.

One fan praised Duncan for his awareness, writing:

''Great awareness by his opponent. That could’ve been terrible''

Another fan criticized the referee and commentators for their negligence:

''That ref needs to go he was out for 5 seconds. The commentators too. They didn’t notice. They suck so bad''

Other fans wrote:

''Not blaming the ref. He's posture still look active. Until he put his forearm to the ground''

''Geez, you can see the life and struggle go out of him. How long before a fighter dies? Thank goodness, Duncan knew he was out.''

Check more reactions below:

Fans react to Championship Rounds' post on X