An impressive early stoppage by Jalin Turner in the UFC on ESPN 52 co-main event may have been overshadowed by the lack of stoppage by the presiding referee.
The controversially late stoppage Saturday from referee Kerry Hatley came at 2:49 of Round 1 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
Turner (14-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) initially wobbled Green (31-15-1 MMA, 12-10-1 UFC) with an overhand right. He repeated the strike and dropped Green, who turned belly down. Turner landed 19 consecutive, unanswered punches before the referee stopped it. Green was visibly unconscious by the 17th strike, but two more hard ones finally triggered the referee’s reaction.
