UFC President Dana White has put referee Mario Yamasaki on blast for allowing Valentina Shevchenko’s one-sided beatdown against Priscilia Cachoeira to go on for as long as it did.
“Priscilla Cachoeira, you showed so much heart and toughness in that fight,” White wrote on Instagram. “I’m honored to have you fight in the UFC. Unfortunately the ref is there to protect you and Mario DID NOT do that. This isn’t his first disgusting performance in the octagon. Another unfortunate thing is that i can’t do anything about I️t only the Brazilian commission can and i am hoping after this scary, incompetent showing he hopefully will never set foot in that Octagon again. Strikes landed was 230-3.”
Few would argue that the fight went on uncomfortably long given how lopsided of a contest it was, though some were quick to point out that even on paper the fight had seemed like a curious choice given that Shevchenko was already widely tipped to be a future champion of the newly formed flyweight division, yet her debut at 125lbs came against a fighter who was making her UFC debut and hadn’t faced anyone close to ‘Bullet’s’ level before.
“For the MORONS says it’s her UFC debut……it’s the entire divisions debut,” White responded. “There will be Fights like this until the entire division starts to weed out who belongs and who doesn’t. That’s why u need good officials who stop fights when they need to be stopped!!!!!!”
