Sonnen Alleges Referee Error in Lewis’s TKO Victory Over Teixeira

According to recent reports, former MMA fighter Chael Sonnen has stirred debate by suggesting that the referee prematurely halted the Derrick Lewis versus Tallison Teixeira fight.

In the UFC Fight Night main event last Saturday, Lewis secured a TKO win against Teixeira in a mere 35 seconds of the first round.

Lewis initially floored Teixeira with a left hook early in the bout, then followed up with a series of right hands, prompting referee Jason Herzog to step in. This victory marked Lewis’s 16th career knockout within the UFC, further solidifying his record.

Sonnen, however, contests the legitimacy of the stoppage.

“Close observation of the fight’s conclusion reveals a couple of clear violations related to grabbing the fence,” Sonnen stated.

The match concluded swiftly after Lewis downed Teixeira, who then attempted to regain his footing by illegally grabbing the cage. Herzog intervened, declaring a TKO. Sonnen believes this was due to the infraction.

“The fence grab altered his position, aiding him in standing up. Referees often allow exchanges to play out before making a decision, but in instances where position is compromised, immediate intervention is necessary to return Teixeira to the mat with Lewis on top,” Sonnen explained.

“I’m not convinced the intention was to declare a TKO or stop the fight at that moment.”

“I suspect that the stoppage was to penalize Teixeira with a point deduction for grabbing the fence. However, Lewis began celebrating, the crowd reacted, and it appeared as a TKO. Therefore, I believe they proceeded with that outcome. It was deemed an early stoppage because it was not originally intended as such.”