Dione Barbosa left UFC Fight Night 272 with a majority decision win over Melissa Gatto, but a controversial kick in Round 2 became the story of their flyweight prelim bout.
The fight at Meta APEX in Las Vegas was halted early in the second round when Barbosa kicked a downed Gatto in the upper chest or neck area. Referee Chris Tognoni immediately stopped the action as Nevada Athletic Commission officials entered the cage to review the foul.
After discussion, officials ruled the kick a foul and issued a point deduction to Barbosa. The bout was allowed to continue, and Barbosa ultimately prevailed on the scorecards with tallies of 28-28, 29-28 and 29-28.
Gatto was transported to a local hospital for a CT scan and further evaluation following the fight. The decision to let the contest continue drew heavy debate on social media.
Barbosa’s victory comes after an August loss to Karine Silva. Gatto, who entered the night with a 9-3-2 MMA record and 3-3 UFC mark, is now 1-3 in her most recent four fights, while Barbosa came in at 9-4 overall and 3-2 in the UFC.
