The officiating at UFC Baku is still under the microscope, as another controversial incident has emerged from the event. Just a day after fans and fighters alike criticized Herb Dean for failing to deduct points during the Sharaputdin Magomedov vs. Michel Pereira co-main event, the focus has switched to a prelims fight, where Tahir Abdullayev may have gotten away with something even more shocking.

Abdullayev made an impressive UFC debut at home, defeating previously unbeaten LFA standout Jefferson Nascimento in the third round via TKO. However, post-fight footage has led many fans to debate whether the fight actually should have ended much differently.

During a ground-and-pound sequence in the first round, ‘Tank’ appeared to bite Nascimento’s ear while throwing strikes from top position. The Brazilian responded instantly, grabbing his ear and yelling in pain, but referee Jim Perdios let the bout continue without stopping it or issuing a warning.

If the sequence was ruled to be an intentional bite, it would have fallen under one of MMA’s most serious fouls and might have resulted in a disqualification. Instead, the moment went undetected, and Tahir Abdullayev ultimately defeated Nascimento in the third round to kick off his UFC career with a win.

The incident has only added to the criticism surrounding the officiating in Baku. Much of the post-event discussion had previously focused on Herb Dean’s handling of the co-main event, where Sharaputdin Magomedov repeatedly pulled Michel Pereira’s hair without losing a point.

Dean also refused to penalize ‘Shara Bullet’ for an eye poke, causing Michel Pereira and former UFC champion Alex Pereira to publicly criticize the renowned referee. It is also worth noting that ‘Poatan’ has been very vocal regarding the level of officiating in the promotion in recent weeks.

Since his controversial loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, where he believed illegal strikes to the back of his head went unaddressed, the Brazilian has consistently highlighted problematic refereeing decisions. Especially if it features Herb Dean. So now, following UFC Baku, he again shared posts criticizing Herb Dean’s performance during the Magomedov fight.

And now, another refereeing controversy from the same event has given fans even more to talk about.

Fight fans call out UFC Baku’s poor officiating

Once clips of the alleged bite began circulating online, fans didn’t hold back. Many questioned how referee Jim Perdios failed to catch the moment, with one fan writing, “I think that ref was part of his fan club. It was one-sided refereeing the whole fight.”

Another added, “Jim Perdios should be banned for life after what he did in this fight.”

Others couldn’t believe the apparent bite itself went unnoticed. “The ref must’ve been too busy watching the fight to notice the snack,” one fan joked, while another simply wrote, “Sketchy reffing that entire fight too.”

Not surprisingly, Alex Pereira also became part of the conversation, but it wasn’t in his support. “Thank God it wasn’t Herb Dean, or crybaby Pereira would’ve been posting it all day,” one fan wrote. Another took a similar view, saying, “Since it wasn’t Herb Dean, Alex Pereira won’t put this on his story because he doesn’t actually care about fighters being safe.”

One more fan commented to defend Herb Dean, “If the ref was Herb Dean, these bitter Brazilians would be writing nonsense about him being led by that sore loser, Alex Pereira.”

And, of course, plenty of fans immediately made comparisons to one of combat sports’ most infamous moments, when Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield‘s ears not once, but twice, during their WBA Heavyweight Championship rematch on June 28, 1997.

“Closest we’re gonna get to Mike Tyson in MMA,” one fan joked. Another simply added, “Mike Tyson has entered the chat.”

Whether the commission investigates the incident or lets it pass remains to be seen. But, after a weekend already marred by controversy over officiating, UFC Baku has created yet another moment that fans are still debating long after the fights have ended.