Nassourdine Imavov: Referee made the right decision in TKO win over Jared Cannonier at UFC on ESPN 57

A lot has been said about how the main event of Saturday’s UFC card ended.

In a middleweight bout, Nassourdine Imavov defeated Jared Cannonier at the top bill of UFC on ESPN 57, which took place at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Imavov (14-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) wobbled Cannonier (17-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) in the fourth round of their contest and then proceeded to go for the finish. In the process, referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight. Cannonier was hurt but still stood, covered up, and looked to recover. Cannonier complained about the stoppage, and so did many online.

Imavov thinks the right call was made.

“It’s the job of the referee to decide if the fighter is able to keep going or not,” Imavov told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 57 post-fight press conference. “He took a lot of damage, and he would’ve taken even more if the fight would’ve continued, so I think it was the right decision to stop it.”

Imavov is now on a two-fight winning streak since his most recent defeat, which came at the hands of former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. Imavov would like to get that fight back, and hopes to get matched up with Strickland for the UFC’s expected return to Paris in September.

“Sean Strickland is in front of me, and we already fought at light heavyweight, so I would like to take my revenge at middleweight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.