UFC referee criticised after not stopping fight

A UFC referee is facing a growing chorus of criticism after not stopping a fight despite an apparently semi-conscious combatant being hit with 50 unanswered shots.

Hector Lombard was fighting welterweight Neil Magny when he was caught on the canvas in the second round of the undercard fight at UFC Fight Night Brisbane on Sunday.

What happened next was a brutal display of ground-and-pound as Magny destroyed his opponent on the mat.

Despite getting a close-hand view of the carnage, respected referee Steve Perceval refused to step in and stop the fight, allowing the bout to enter a third round which lasted just 46 seconds as No.9 ranked Magny quickly won.

"This win is amazing for me and my career," Magny said after being awarded a technical knockout

"To get a win over Hector Lombard, it puts me in a position to fight a top five guy and eventually a title."

However, fight fans were less concerned about Magny's next opponent than Perceval's inaction in the octagon, including UFC executive Tom Wright who was allegedly "concerned" the fight hadn't been stopped.

Other supporters had their own theories as to why the fight was allowed to continue.

https://twitter.com/mbgxxx/status/711424439800320000

To further mystify Perceval's decision to not stop the fight, the referee once told MMA Sports he stepped in when he believed a fighter couldn't "defend himself intelligently".

"As a referee my job is to protect the fighters at all times, so I stop the fight when I feel the fighter can not defend himself intelligently," Perceval said.

"If the fight does not end in a TKO or Tapout then I try to give the fighters every chance to defend themselves, I warn them that if they don’t defend themselves then I will stop the fight."