Steven Nguyen put on a UFC record performance in his win over Mohammad Yahya on the preliminary card of UFC Abu Dhabi; however, the spotlight has been unanimously, and quite negatively, placed on referee Jason Herzog for irresponsibility.
Nguyen used his crisp striking to lead to a dominant performance, overwhelming Yaha from the get-go with sharp combinations. Nguyen, in fact, dropped Yahya with six knockdowns -- a UFC record for one bout.
Yahya showed surprising resilience early, briefly dropping Nguyen with a flurry early in the second round. Nguyen, however, quickly regained control and rocked Yahya again, nearly putting the fight away with ground-and-pound and submission attempts.
By the end of the round, Yahya had a hematoma under one of his eyes, prompting the doctor to step in and stop the fight.
The MMA community unanimously took aim at Herzog for allowing the fight to get to this point, putting Yahya in more danger than was necessary.
MMA Community Blasts Referee Jason Herzog After Steven Nguyen Win Over Mohammad Yahya At UFC Abu Dhabi
Nguyen, a 2023 alumnus of Dana White's Contender Series, scores his first UFC win after dropping his debut against Jarno Errens last year.
Yahya, the former lightweight champion of UAE Warriors, is now 0-3 since coming over from that promotion.