Luke Riley has thrown his full support behind referee Kerry Hatley after his first-round knockout win over Kai Kamaka III at UFC 329 drew criticism.
Riley stopped Kamaka in the opening round, with Hatley stepping in as Kamaka remained on his feet but was being hit against the cage. The call drew backlash on social media and was questioned by cageside commentator Joe Rogan.
Responding to those calling the finish early, Riley said, "They’ve f*cking lost their minds. Honestly, two more seconds, [Kamaka] would have been face down on the canvas. That’s baffled me a bit, that one. I don’t really know what to say to that." He added, "If you think that was sort of an early stoppage, then I feel like you shouldn’t be watching fighting, but it is what it is."
Riley also praised Hatley’s intervention, stating, "He was just a wounded animal trying to stay alive and he was going to be put down if the ref didn’t stop the fight," and, "So yeah, the ref done a very, very good job or he would have been down, out, face-down on the canvas, which wouldn’t have been a good look, would it?"
The win keeps Riley undefeated, with 10 of his 14 victories coming via strikes. He is coming off a unanimous decision over Michael Aswell in his previous outing, while this marks Kamaka’s first loss by strikes since a UFC stint in 2020 and the third knockout defeat of his 27-fight career.
