The New York State Athletic Commission is reviewing the controversial decision made in the ninth round of Saturday’s fight between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Lamont Roach, which impacted the final result.
The controversial moment occurred when Davis kneeled down. Referee Steve Willis started a 10-count, which could have been a knockdown and a point deduction. However, Willis decided against penalizing Davis.
Davis claimed he kneeled because hair grease was getting in his eyes and he needed to address it. The lack of penalty for Davis led to a majority draw in the fight. A point deduction would have given Roach the victory.
On Monday, the commission released a statement to MMA Fighting about the controversy.
The commission stated they are reviewing the matter involving Saturday’s match. They explained that during the round in question, a technical issue prevented them from getting the replay video in time. Therefore, the referee’s decision in the ring stood, and the fight continued.
The commission emphasized its commitment to maintaining fair sports and will work to prevent future technical issues with replay access for officials.
A technical issue apparently stopped commission officials from reviewing the footage in real-time. It remains unclear if the commission’s review could retroactively change the fight result.
Roach is disappointed with the outcome but wants a rematch with Davis, as he almost achieved an upset victory despite being considered the underdog.
Davis has indicated he is open to a rematch, suggesting it could happen soon, possibly by the end of May.
