Ukrainian UFC fighter Ihor Potieria is appealing his UFC 301 defeat to Michel Pereira, alleging that Pereira landed an illegal kick during the match.
Ihor Potieria ain’t too happy about his UFC 301 loss to Michel Pereira. He’s got his fingers crossed for a no-contest ruling.
The dude’s from Ukraine and he tapped out to a guillotine choke in less than a minute. This happened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 4. But here’s the kicker – he’s saying Pereira landed an illegal strike.
Apparently, Pereira did a backflip mid-fight and landed with his leg on Potieria’s head. Ouch, right?
Potieria took to Instagram on Sunday. He’s claiming Pereira landed an “illegal kick”. He’s hoping for justice and for the fight to be annulled. The Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) confirmed that Potieria has indeed filed an appeal.
“Three well-known athletic commissions in America said it was a disqualification,” Potieria posted on Instagram. But the fight was in Brazil. He’s curious to see what the Rio de Janeiro athletic commission will say.
He’s ready to accept whatever comes his way. All he wants is fairness.
“Everyone only sees a cool somersault,” he wrote. But he feels the rules were broken against him. He doesn’t want this to go unpunished.
He’s waiting for news. He’s sure that if they meet again, the result will be different. He just needs time to prepare.
Referee Fernando Portella had a chat with other CABMMA officials cageside. They ruled the official decision a submission victory for Pereira.
Pereira, the Brazilian middleweight, is on an eight-fight winning streak. He admitted at the post-fight press conference that his move was risky. But hey, he’s the risk-taker.