Surprise! Brazilian Commission Reverses Postion, Changes ‘Ridiculous' Drew Dober Result
The Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission on Thursday made a surprising move and overturned the outcome of the controversial UFC Fight Night 62 bout between Leandro Silva and Drew Dober. The bout was originally a submission victory for Silva, but has been changed to a no contest, following an appeal by Dober’s camp.
Silva attempted a guillotine choke midway through the second round of the lightweight bout, but was not in proper position to execute the submission. Dober was not in any danger of being finished and did not tap out, but referee Eduardo Herdy mistakenly thought Dober had lost consciousness and stopped the fight.
Herdy’s decision outraged many, including UFC president Dana White, who called it ridiculous and said Herdy should never be allowed to referee another fight again.
SEE ALSO > Drew Dober Falls Victim to One of the Worst Stoppages in UFC History (Video)
Cristiano Sampaio, COO of the CABMMA, released a statement on Monday indicating that the result of the bout will remain unchanged because there was no rule in place to overturn a referee’s error in judgment.
That stance changed dramatically – and surprisingly – on Thursday when CABMMA released a statement noting that, after discussions with Herdy, the outcome of the fight would be changed to a no contest.
“After receiving a detailed technical report from Mr. Eduardo Herdy, referee in charge of the bout mentioned in the case, which in the end clearly states that his stoppage was to preserve the fighter’s integrity, being that is his highest responsibility when it comes to the duty of a referee, he has admitted his professional mistake and is willingly in favor to forgo his authority in the bout,” read the statement.
“Consequently, after reviewing the case, the Executive Committee presided by Mr. Rafael Favetti (Chairman & CEO) and Mr. Cristiano Sampaio (COO), has decided to overturn the result of the Leandro Silva vs. Andrew Dober bout and is officially determining it as a no contest.”
Upon making the determination to change the outcome of the Silva vs. Dober bout, CABMMA also revealed that it has added a new provision to its regulations that allow it to review the facts surrounding the outcome of a bout and potentially overturn that outcome if a referee or official admits to making a mistake or if there is a “self-evident error.”
As of the time of publication, there had been no word from UFC officials on the possibility of a rematch between Silva and Dober.
