In the words of one Robbie Lawler, welterweights Anthony Johnson and Kevin Burns are penciled in to "run it back" after their fight at UFC Fight Night 14 ended in controversy earlier this year.
MMAmania.com can confirm that Johnson and Burns are set to rematch at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 Finale at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 13.
"Rumble" lost to Burns via third round technical knockout in their first encounter; however, video replays of the stoppage show that Johnson was felled by an unintentional eye poke and not an uppercut.
The referee in charge of the action, Steve Mazzagatti, unfortunately did not have the benefit of watching instant replay and called a halt to the 170-pound bout.
Johnson eventually had to undergo eye surgery to repair a damaged retina. He and his management, meanwhile, filed an appeal to have the technical knockout loss overturned and ruled a no contest.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), however, was unable to grant the request, indicating that the regulatory body did not have the legal authority to change the result.
It’s important to note that Johnson and Mazzagatti crossed paths at a smaller show several weeks after the match and Mazzagatti apologized for the bad call.
All things considered this is the best possible move by the promotion to erase any doubt and determine a clear cut winner.
TUF 8 Finale will also feature the finals of the lightweight and light heavyweight tournament-style format that is currently in progress on the mixed martial arts reality series. It will air live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET on fight night.
Stay tuned for more fight card updates.
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