Jorge Masvidal won the ‘BMF’ title tonight at UFC 244 with a TKO win over Nate Diaz, but the ending was highly controversial as the cage-side doctor waved off the fight before the fourth round due to a nasty cut above Diaz’s eye.
Round One:
The main event ‘BMF’ title fight is underway at Madison Square Garden!
Masvidal pretends to start with a flying knee attempt and then breaks into a smile.
Diaz lands with a straight to start as he looks to pressure early. Masvidal moves into the clinch against the cage. He’s working elbows.
Masvidal lands a big elbow as they move apart. Now a head kick from Masvidal as Diaz ducks down and that sends him to the mat, bleeding heavily from that elbow and kick – cut above and below the right eye.
Masvidal connects again and Diaz hurt here. Masvidal staying on his feet and just throwing the occasional strike down on Diaz, who motions him in. Lots of crimson leaking from Diaz’s face, but he’s getting time to recover here.
Body punches from Masvidal. Upkick to the body from Diaz and Masvidal feigns being hurt. Soon after Diaz is able to stand back up and get back to striking range.
Kick to the body from Masvidal. Diaz looking to clinch. masvidal reverses. He lands a strike. Back to striking range. Hard one-two from Diaz and that surely hurt, but Masvidal grins as he clinches up.
Minute to go and Masvidal still clinched. Two hard body punches from Masvidal. They separate and Masvidal throws punches and a kick.
Diaz flurries. Diaz tries for a front kick to the body. Body punch and then a good straight left from Diaz sends Masvidal backwards.
Round Two:
Diaz out aggressively to start the second round with a series punches. Masvidal lands a punch and moves away.
Left and a right hand for Diaz. leg kick for him. Hard body kick for Masvidal. Head kick attempt from him is blocked.
Body punch from Diaz. Now a crisp one-two from him. Right and then a left from Masvidal. Diaz pressuring with rangey punches. Kick for Diaz. Right hand from Masvidal.
Big right hand from Masvidal sends Diaz moving backwards clearly hurt. Body kick sends Diaz down now, but he then motions Masvidal to come down – an offer he rejects.
Back up Diaz comes and Masvidal lands a punch again, but Diaz continues to show his strong chin.
Another good punch from Masvidal. Right hand gets through for him and then clinches up against the cage.
Diaz punching to the upper thigh and body. Hard knee to the body from Masvidal and then big hooks to the body too. They break away. Diaz might be hurt and trying to hide it.
Masvidal presses forward and lands again while Diaz has his body turned. Masvidal back into the clinch. Masvidal gets the back and brings Diaz to the mat. Diaz turtled up and Diaz on his back.
Diaz stands with Masvidal still clinched. Diaz tries to roll, but in the scramble it’s Masvidal who remains on top.
However, Diaz now going for a leg lock and Masvidal has to defend. Nice scramble from Masvidal to escape and land an elbow before the bell.
Round Three:
Leg kick for Masvidal. Now one from Diaz and a punch to the body too. Another punch to the body from Diaz and then punches upstairs that leads to Masvidal utilizing head movement and getting away.
Hard right over the top from Masvidal lands hard and then a body kick. Good left hand for Diaz. Punishing body kick for Masvidal.
Quick left hand from Masvidal as he presses forward and gets into the clinch. Diaz separates. Front kick attempt from Diaz almost caught.
Hard right hand from Masvidal. Diaz lands a punch that hurts and that gets him going. He lands a couple of more hard punches and masvidal motions him forward while nodding.
Kick from Masvidal. Hard right hand from Masvidal. Body punch from Masvidal. Right hook for Diaz.
Clinch from masvidal and Diaz lands a knee to the body and then drives Masvidal over to the fence.
Masvidal reverses the clinch here. Short punches from Diaz. Diaz with a trip attempt that almost works, but Masvidal does well to stay upright and remain clinched.
Diaz pulling guard now and Masvidal working ground and pound. Diaz punching from the bottom. Masvidal takes that and then lands some heavy punches of his own in the final seconds of the round.
Wow, the doctor is taking a close look at Diaz’s eye here before the round starts. Diaz tells him he’s fine, but the doctor is going to make a dramatic decision here – he’s calling the fight off!
Despair and frustration from everybody in attendance and all around the world here. Diaz does have a huge cut above his eye and below, so maybe the doctor knows something we don’t about it, but that’s a tough way to end such an exciting fight.
Nonetheless, Masvidal gets the win her at the end of the third round by way of TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage and he certainly had got the better of the fight up until that point. However, Diaz still had plenty of fight left in him and it looks very likely that an immediate rematch will happen in 2020.
