Gilbert Burns landed (mostly) legal shots on Stephen Thompson in the final seconds of their UFC 264 fight — just ask referee Marc Goddard.
The highly-ranked Welterweight contenders clashed in the co-main event of UFC 264: “Poirier vs. McGregor 3” inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past weekend (Sat., July 10, 2021). Burns’ offense in the final few seconds of the fight had some fans calling foul play.
Of course I can. I’ll always try to offer explanation, sadly it gets drowned out. You’ll see that only the 4th shot is a glancing blow to the nape of the neck. The first shots are top & side. The last 5 clearly to the shoulder. I try to maintain clarity in chaos! Hope this helps. https://t.co/aBOMkmYCkj pic.twitter.com/vDrmVRTbpG
— Marc Goddard (@marcgoddard_uk) July 12, 2021
Burns — who ultimately won the 170-pound contest via unanimous decision (recap here) — was accused of landing numerous illegal blows to the back of Thompson’s head in the closing moments of their fight. Goddard, who refereed the bout, was asked by a fan to explain his decision to not halt the exchange or penalize Burns. Goddard broke down the alleged illegal punches with written analysis and a slow-motion video that supports his case.
“Of course I can. I’ll always try to offer [an] explanation, sadly it gets drowned out. You’ll see that only the fourth shot is a glancing blow to the nape of the neck. The first shots are top and side. The last five clearly to the shoulder. I try to maintain clarity in chaos! Hope this helps.”
For full UFC 264 play-by-play updates and results click here. And to check out the latest and greatest “McGregor vs. Poirier 3”-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
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