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Stephan Bonnar to appeal UFC 110 loss, claims headbutt should lead to draw | MMAjunkie.com

UFC 110 competitor Stephan Bonnar, who suffered a TKO loss to Krzysztof Soszynsk at UFC 110 due to a deep facial cut, plans to appeal the loss and hopes to have it overturned to a draw.

Bonnar confirmed the plans to The Times of Northwest Indiana's Caged In MMA site, for which he also blogs.

Bonnar, who competed on the un-aired preliminary card of the Feb. 20 event, said the cut was caused by the early-third-round headbutt – an illegal blow – and that the referee should have gone to the scorecards after the third-round stoppage.

Instead, the referee determined the cut was caused by a punch, though multiple replays of the fighters bashing heads aired on the video screen at host site Acer Arena in Sydney, New South Whales, Australia.

Bonnar and Soszynski each won a round, so if the ref had done to the scorecards, which is customary after an illegal blow forces a stoppage, the fight would have been declared a draw. Instead, Soszynski earned a TKO win at the 1:04 mark of the third round.

A message that MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) left with the NSW Combat Sports Authority, the local regulatory body, was not returned on Tuesday. But the commission's executive director, Craig Waller, told Cage In the fight could be overturned to a draw, though Bonnar hasn't filed an appeal yet.

As MMAjunkie.com reported immediately after the show, both Bonnar (11-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) and Soszynski (19-9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) are open to a rematch at a future UFC event.

"It was a headbutt, and you know what the worst part is?" Bonnar asked while pointing to his forehead. "Take a close-up on this head. This cut is actually shaped like a 'K' for Krzysztof, so I now I've got to walk around with a scar in the shape of a 'K' on it.

"So yeah, I'm pissed off. ... (I) would love a rematch."

Soszynski said he's more than willing to revisit the matchup.

"I agree with Stephan," Soszynski said. "If the UFC wants it and the fans want it, I think we should finish what we started."

[The8thPlague]

I agree, he should get it appealed.
I just want to see that fight finished. It was a brutal back and forth & both of those guys looked like Grenades Went Off In Their Faces during the Post-Fight Press Conference.

[Bloodbeard]

Barnett gives appeals a bad name.

They should have gone to the instant replay! Maybe that option isn't there in Australia, I don't know. I thought it was funny though when Bonnar was freaking out and he was like "It was a headbutt!!" and some guy just brushed him off like "no it wasn't".

[dbump]

definitly a head butt should appeal it. would be a good rematch.

[Rocky>Fedor]

Of course it should be a Draw.

[wolunt]

I'm not sure if it should be a draw but NC makes a lot of sense.

[beau420]

If we look at over fight decisions that haven't been changed after being appealed, I don't give Bonnar's appeal much of a chance.

There were a couple of weak local refs for this past UFC event (on prelim and untelevised fights)...they just looked nervous. But hey...Herb Dean can't ref every fight....and Big John is still MIA on UFC's radar.

I don't care if the decision is changed or not. If anything, it's a win with an asterix on Soszynski's record.

They need to make the replay laws universal for every UFC event (or event where there are more than 3 cameras) and let the judges review the replays BEFORE they give in their fight scorecards to the commission and BEFORE they announce the winner.

There ar still problems with the system and the chain of command. Get the decision right in the ring for the fans that are paying. If it takes an extra 5 minutes, do it.

[The_Mab69]

I was very disappointed over not getting to see this fight, the one time spike doesn't air the preliminary bouts, their is a fight that I really wanted to see on there, these are two of my favorite fighters.

I agree with Bonnar that it should be a draw, although I have not seen the fight, I base my opinion off of what I have read about the fight.

I hope that they indeed do have a remach and it is on a main card se we can all watch it, hell have it as the main event on a fight night card, fight night cards need to step thier quality up they have been very weak cards as of lately.

[beau420]

Originally Posted by The_Mab69

I was very disappointed over not getting to see this fight, the one time spike doesn't air the preliminary bouts, their is a fight that I really wanted to see on there, these are two of my favorite fighters.

I agree with Bonnar that it should be a draw, although I have not seen the fight, I base my opinion off of what I have read about the fight.

I hope that they indeed do have a remach and it is on a main card se we can all watch it, hell have it as the main event on a fight night card, fight night cards need to step thier quality up they have been very weak cards as of lately.

It was aired after the main event.....could have been worse....could have been only released in the UFC Vault....

[Lefthookstcrook]

I do agree that it was deffinatly a headbutt.

I do agree that they deffinatly should have went to instant replay instead of just rushing out a decision.

And I deffinatly agree that they should fight again, as mentioned a Fight Night card sounds good.

But I do not agree with this comment by Stephan

I feel like I'm in a pro wrestling match, where one of the wrestlers hits his opponent over the head with a chair when the referee's back's turned. Everyone in the arena sees what happened but the ref, then the ref gets down and gives the three-count and gives the guy the win. It really feels like that."

MMA News - Stephan Bonnar To Appeal Loss To Krzysztof Soszynski At UFC 110

An accidental headbutt in the middle of a slugfest, is exactly like a fighter blind siding you with a weapon? Bit of an exaggeration IMO.

Not the worst call I've ever seen, and IMO it should be changed(like many others) but as beau420 mentioned Im not liking his chances of getting it overturned.

How could they overturn this but not overturn the vicious and more obvious eyepoke from Burns/Rumble 1.