The bantamweight division of the UFC has some of the most talented fighters on the planet. Two fighters – Dan Argueta and Ronnie Lawrence – both looked to ameliorate their record in the promotion. However, the fight didn’t end the way everybody would have hoped for.

On paper, the fight between Dan Argueta and Ronnie Lawrence seemed like a great matchup as both fighters possessed well-rounded skill sets that comprise an exciting fight. However, the fight between the two ended abruptly after a referee error. Let us take a look at what happened.

Ronnie Lawrence vs Dan Argueta ended in a no-contest

Lawrence and Argueta faced each other in the second fight of the event in the prelims at UFC Apex. The referee for the match was Keith Peterson, who was once criticized by bantamweight veteran Dominick Cruz for smelling like he had smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol. The fight ended without a definitive winner after an error by Peterson.

During the fight, Dan Argueta found himself in a dominant position and caught Lawrence in a guillotine choke hold. It put the latter in a tough spot. This caused the referee Petreson to come closer for a better view of the submission. However, when Lawrence tried to move his hand, it appeared as if he had tapped, which prompted the referee to stop the fight.

It didn’t sit well with ‘The Heat’ and he immediately protested the referee’s decision to stop the fight. Peterson proceeded to see the replay and, in the end, the fight was ruled a no-contest. Dominick Cruz, who was commentating on the fight, expressed his disappointment with the referee after the fight ended in such a bizarre fashion.

Fans and pros react to the no-contest ruling at UFC Vegas 75

A lot of fans and UFC fighters reacted to the result of the fight and they weren’t too pleased with the situation. Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier sounded off on Peterson, claiming that he should have waited for Lawrence to tap before stopping the fight.

Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling also mentioned that Lawrence didn’t tap. However, he understands that it was a tough call to make for the referee.

Moreover, welterweight star Michael Chiesa also tweeted about the incident. He sided with Keith Peterson, claiming that mistakes take place often. However, Chiesa doesn’t feel that he’s like Mario Yamasaki, who was banned from the UFC.

Let us take a look at some of the reactions from fans.

• A joke, a sick joke
• I ONLY watch Keith Peterson fights
• Absolutely brutal for Argueta, seconds away from a clear victory to get it taken away because of blind officiating.
• Dominick Cruz was always right
• I herd Keith is a drunk
• I said it before I’ll say it again Keith is the worse ufc judge since Yama
• They need to start holding judges and refs more accountable

The fans claimed that the result of the fight was a joke. They took jibes at referee Peterson claiming that he might have been drunk. Furthermore, the fans believe that Keith Peterson is currently the worst referee since Mario Yamasaki. Moreover, they claim that the referees and judges should be held more accountable going forward.

Dominick Cruz also commented on the post, claiming that Yamasaki at least let him fight to earn his money. He even took a jibe at Chiesa. Cruz said, “Mario Yamasaki was a hero letting us fight for our [money] [Michael Chiesa] stop it!”

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The fans have witnessed a lot of referees make mistakes during the fights. It puts fighters in a bad spot, given that they already step inside the octagon under tremendous pressure to win and make a mark. We will have to wait and see how the UFC decides to deal with the situation. What do you make of the situation? Let us know in the comments section below.

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