{"id":29570,"date":"2025-07-29T08:49:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T08:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/29570\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T08:49:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T08:49:10","slug":"ufc-commentator-raises-concern-over-fighter-safety-amid-gruesome-sight-in-abu-dhabi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/29570\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC commentator raises concern over fighter safety amid gruesome sight in Abu Dhabi"},"content":{"rendered":"

A top UFC commentator isn\u2019t putting his friend Jason Herzog<\/a> on blast, but he does raise an important question.<\/p>\n

\"UFC<\/p>\n

One fight on the UFC Abu Dhabi prelims sparked a debate within the MMA community. Steven Nguyen went one-on-one with Mohammad Yahya in a featherweight tilt. The bout drew controversy, as Yahya was dropped multiple times and his eye ballooned so bad that he made ESPN\u2019s SportsCenter. The fight was stopped before the third round began, but many have criticized Herzog, who officiated the bout, for not stepping in sooner.<\/p>\n

Play-by-play ace Jon Anik doesn\u2019t believe the responsibility rests solely on Herzog, as he feels Yahya\u2019s corner could\u2019ve intervened. Still, Anik wonders what exactly is being done about fighter safety<\/a> if referees are allowing the bout to go on past the expiration date. He chimed in on the situation during an edition of \u201cThe Anik & Florian Podcast\u201d<\/a> (via MMAJunkie<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Mohammad Yahya\u2019s eye \ud83d\ude43#UFCAbuDhabi<\/a> | LIVE NOW on TNT Sports 2 and discovery+ pic.twitter.com\/UwXtMLAqrn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) July 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we doing in the form of fighter safety?\u201d Anik said. \u201cMaybe I should call my friend Jason Herzog, who I really do love and be like, \u2018Hey Jason, it\u2019s Jon. Do me a favor and just stop the fight?\u2019 There\u2019s a lot to unpack here. Tapology ranks the Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics fight from 2024 as the 34th greatest lightweight fight of all time in MMA, and the No. 1 fight of the year in 2024. Jason Herzog was the referee for Zellhuber and Ribovics, and if you hear nothing else I say today \u2013 I don\u2019t know if I was suggestive on the broadcast that fight should\u2019ve been stopped at one point in time, but I thought Zellhuber should\u2019ve been saved to live to fight another day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe result was Herzog masterfully let the fight play out and the result was the Fight of the Year. But my thesis statement always is, \u2018What are doing in the form of fighter safety.\u2019 The ends don\u2019t justify the means. If there\u2019s a rally and a Fight of the Year ensues, just because Mohammad Yahya doesn\u2019t have an orbital fracture doesn\u2019t mean that heretofore it doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s going to pay dearly for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yahya was able to walk away from UFC Abu Dhabi without any facial fractures. There is also no permanent damage to his left eye. UFC executive David Shaw told reporters that he spoke to Herzog after the fight and he was satisfied with the referee\u2019s reasoning for letting the bout go on for as long as he did.<\/p>\n