Chris Tognoni did not use instant replay at UFC Vegas 10 but he definitely could have.
Controversy reared it’s ugly head last weekend at UFC Vegas 10. Referee Tognoni halted the fight between Ed Herman and Mike Rodriguez because he believed that Rodriguez landed illegal knee strikes on Herman. A replay during the broadcast showed that the knee strikes actually landed on Herman’s midsection.
Brendan Fitzgerald, who was a part of the commentary team, said the following during the broadcast about whether or not a replay could be used to determine if the low blow was in fact, a low blow (transcript via Trent Reinsmith of Bloody Elbow):
“I just spoke to Marc Ratner, our vice-president of regulatory affairs here at the UFC and he told me that they couldn’t, in fact, have gone to the replay for the low blow. That is not the rule. They can’t go to the replay at any point during the fight, it would only be for a fight ending sequence.”
However, according to the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), there is a rule that states that a referee can consult with NAC officials or to view a replay to see if an illegal strike did land during a fight:
The referee may, at any time during a contest or exhibition, call a time-out to consult with officials of the Commission or to view replay footage.
Rodriguez’s manager did say that the fighter will appeal the loss to Herman, but no ruling has been made at this time.
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