Controversial MMA finish gets a ruling from California officials

The California State Athletic Commission on Monday rejected Phumi Nkuta's appeal to overturn his technical submission loss to Adriano Moraes at MVP's May 16 event headlined by Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano. Nkuta, competing in a flyweight bout, argued that Moraes held a chokehold for approximately 2.15 seconds after the final bell sounded and that referee Herb Dean failed to stop the sequence properly. He claimed he was still conscious when the horn rang but lost consciousness only after the fight had officially ended, and that the bout should have proceeded to judges' scorecards where he believed he had done enough to win.

CSAC executive director Andy Foster acknowledged that the choke was held longer than necessary but stated there was no definitive evidence proving Nkuta was conscious at the bell. "I bet I've watched it 80 times now," Foster explained. "When we're not sure about something, it needs to be clear and convincing evidence if this commission is going to flip a fight." Nkuta traveled to Sacramento to present his case in person and testified that he remembered hearing the final horn.

Commissioner Dr. AnnaMaria De Mars, a former judo champion and mother of Ronda Rousey, offered perspective on the ruling. She emphasized that officials are forced to make split-second judgments under intense pressure and that overturning a decision requires egregious misconduct. Holding a choke for roughly two seconds after the bell, in her view, did not meet that threshold. The commission's decision means Moraes' technical submission victory stands, and Nkuta's attempt to erase his only professional loss has failed.