Bobby Green’s MMA career took a bad turn on the first round of the UFC Austin, as he was severely knocked out by opponent Jalin Turner on short notice.
The knockout itself was mired in controversy, with combatants accusing referee Kerry Hatley of allowing ‘King’ to sustain needless injuries before intervening to end the bout.
Kerry Hatley, is one of the UFC’s most well-liked referees, has now faced criticism for the way he officiated the bout between Bobby Green and Jalin Turner.
UFC Austin: Bobby Green Vs Jalin Turner Knockout
At the UFC Austin event on Saturday night, Turner thoroughly beat Green and submitted him in the opening frame.
Hatley did not break up the battle, but Turner had Bobby Green on the deck and fired several unanswered shots while Green covered up.
Turner kept going and didn’t stop until Green was completely unconscious.
Turner delivered an impressive one-two blow early in the bout, but Bobby Green was able to hold out. The fighters came out swinging.
Turner managed to recover after Green delivered a powerful blow to his own right hand.
In the second round, Turner began to establish control of the bout by hitting several punches and kicks.
Though Green was able to defend himself, it was evident that he was wounded, and in the third round, Turner dropped Green with a barrage of blows.
While providing live commentary for the match, Michael Bisping was unable to contain his criticism of Hatley.
“That was disgusting, he was face down, he was getting teed off on by a world-class very powerful striker, it was disgusting,” he said.
“Kerry Hatley, he’s a great referee but what the hell was he waiting for? It’s as simple as that, people’s lives are at stake, their long-term future.
“That was utterly disgusting and disgraceful, I bet if he were face down on the Octagon with some cracking on his face he’d want it to be stopped sooner.”