Few things in MMA bug fans more than a No Contest ending to a match. After all, who wants to pay for unfinished business inside the octagon? But exactly that happened for the Abu Dhabi crowd at UFC 294 when the much-awaited tussle between Johnny Walker and Magomed Ankalaev was called off. And it looks like former UFC title challenger, Chael Sonnen, holds someone responsible for this.

Currently, riding a 3-fight win streak, Walker has long been touted as the next big thing in the light-heavyweight division. But the Brazilian’s hype train hit a roadblock when, between 2019 and 2022, he went 1-4. However, the 205er bounced back and soon found himself in a tussle against Magomed Ankalaev. For those unaware, Ankalaev has won all but two of his previous UFC fights, making this an interesting matchup. However, much to the disappointment of fans, the bout was stopped after the Dagestani landed an illegal knee on his opponent. Was it the right call? It seems like Chael Sonnen has an answer.

Chael Sonnen goes off on UFC referees for not prioritizing fighter’s welfare

In one of his recent videos, MMA analyst and former fighter, Chael Sonnen has given his take on the disappointing ending of Walker vs. Ankalaev. In Sonnen’s opinion, it is the referee, Dan Movahedi, who should be held responsible for the untimely ending of the fight. According to ‘American Gangster,’ it was Movahedi’s responsibility to take off the point, considering Johnny Walker got kneed in the head. But instead, he chose to call the doctor, which, according to Sonnen, was dodging the responsibility.

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Criticizing Movahedi, Sonnen said: “That is 100% what it should have been. It never should have gone to the doctor; the doc never should have been brought in. The only reason the doc got brought in is because the referee didn’t have the courage to make the decision. So he pushed the onus onto somebody else, and it worked.”

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Not just Dan Movahedi, Sonnen also put a question mark on the work ethics of UFC referees. For this, the Oregon Native also brought up the flyweight clash between Tim Elliott and Muhammad Mokaev. A fight which, according to Sonnen, also saw two illegal knees during the matchup. Interestingly, this matchup wasn’t being refereed by Movahedi, making the veteran analyst question the effectiveness of the current system.

Not a draw but a win for Johnny Walker, as per Chael Sonnen

After Ankalaev landed the ill-fated knee on Walker, Dan Movahedi called in the ringside doctor to inspect the Brazilian. According to sources, the doctor asked Walker about the country he was fighting in, something which the fighter couldn’t answer. This led Movahedi to call off the fight, which was followed by chaos inside the ring. According to Chael Sonnen, this was all an act.

As per him, Ankalaev’s knee to Walker’s head was intentional, and it was hard for the fighter to continue. Hence, calling off the fight did the Brazilian a favor, something which contrasts the opinion of many, including Dana White, who believes the fight should have continued. Nevertheless, if Sonnen’s analysis is correct, the UFC should take necessary action to ensure the safety of the fighters inside the ring.

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