UFC veteran Thiago Tavares suffered a TKO loss to Robert Watley at the Professional Fighters League 2 event this past Thursday.
However, it wasn’t a traditional TKO loss that the lightweight suffered, as the referee ruled that since Tavares was unable to continue after getting kicked in the balls by Watley, it would mean a defeat for him.
Tavares was given the standard five minutes to recover, but after that time elapsed, a ruling by the referee is what lead to the odd result.
In response, a still recovering Tavares has notified MMA Fighting that he plans on appealing the loss to Watley, having the fight result overturned to a no contest. The Illinois State Athletic Commission (ISAC) may not rule in favor of Tavares, since there is a rule in their rule book stating that a fighter who cannot continue a fight to to an illegal blow might still lose by TKO.
There is no word at this time as to when Tavares’ appeal may be heard by the ISAC or when a ruling would be given. The victorious Watley was awarded five points for his win at PFL 2, it is also unknown how the potential appeal could affect his standings in the season rankings.
