The entire card at UFC 257 saw some incredible fights featuring some amazing stoppages and performances by all fighters involved. However, there was a bit of controversy in the mix as well. The fight between Marina Rodriguez and fan-favorite Amanda Ribas was arguably stopped twice by referee Herb Dean, who in most cases gets his decisions spot on. 

The #8 ranked Rodriguez took on Amanda Ribas to kick off the main card. Despite being the underdog, the higher-ranked fighter put on a performance for the ages and clinched the first of four finishes on the main card. She stopped Ribas in the very first round of the fight.

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Marina Rodriguez speaks on knocking out Amanda Ribas twice

During the post-fight press conference, John Morgan asked Rodriguez what she made of the stoppage.

Via a translator, she said, “When I went in to finish her I saw that she was already immobile. She felt the first punch, and she was not moving. So when Herb Dean came in and he had his arms open, He said something and I just stepped away. I thought I had knocked her out and as I turned my back, I heard some screams and he still had his arms open. I just had to go in there and knock her out again. I think that was two knockouts tonight.”

During the fight, Rodriguez landed a perfectly placed right hand that dropped Ribas to the floor. While on the floor, Marina threw a barrage of punches. 

At this point, Herb Dean came really close to both fighters, as he would do when he is going to stop the fight. Therefore, Rodriguez felt that he stopped the fight, whereas he had not. 

While celebrating the win, Marina was forced to re-engage in a fight. However, it did not take long for her to land a series of devastating blows before Herb Dean stopped the fight for good this time around. 

What did you make of the first stoppage? Was Herb Dean too close to the action? Let us know in the comments below!