A blunder from referee Keith Peterson led to a no contest in the UFC on ESPN 46 fight between Dan Argueta and Ronnie Lawrence.
After Argueta (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) caught Lawrence (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a mounted guillotine choke in the first round of their featherweight, Peterson thought he witnessed a tap from the defending fighter.
Although Lawrence was in a compromised position and holding his hand out, he did not make a clear tapping motion, but Peterson stopped the fight after grabbing the fighter’s arm to check for consciousness. The Nevada Athletic Commission reviewed the footage, and the bout was deemed a no contest.
Check out a replay of the final sequence below (via Twitter):
Bit of controversy here at the APEX! 😳
Dan Argueta gets the first-round guillotine over Ronnie Lawrence…but was it a tap?! #UFCVegas75 pic.twitter.com/T5khWCW7Ui
— UFC (@ufc) June 17, 2023
The official result has been declared a no contest. ❌
Maybe we'll see this one run back, we move on LIVE on ESPN2 / @ESPNPlus. pic.twitter.com/H33HtFGepU
— UFC (@ufc) June 17, 2023
Both Argueta and Lawrence were visibly disappointed at the conclusion of the fight, but it was beyond the point of the rules allowing it to be restarted.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 46.
