Former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill, Alex Poatan 's opponent at UFC 300 in 2024, downplayed the controversy surrounding the strikes deemed illegal suffered by the Brazilian in his loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Casa Branca . In the American's view, the alleged infractions did not directly influence the outcome of the fight, which ended with a knockout by the new interim heavyweight champion in the second round.
In an interview with the American website Home of Fight, Hill stated that the double champion was already showing clear signs of fatigue even before the most controversial moments of the fight. According to him, the Frenchman controlled the action before the stoppage and built his victory legitimately within the rules.
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“I think Alex had already taken some devastating blows and was quite bruised. I don’t believe those (illegal) blows affected the outcome, and Ciryl Gane won the fight easily, within the rules,” declared the former champion.
The American's assessment contrasts with that of some fans, analysts, and fighters like Charles Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski , who criticized the refereeing for the lack of warnings during controversial moments of the fight. The issue quickly gained traction and generated debate about the performance of the referee responsible for the main event.
Even so, the former title holder believes that Gane's performance was enough to justify the victory. According to him, the European knew how to exploit his opponent's defensive weaknesses, managed the distance efficiently, and neutralized a good portion of the former champion's main offensive weapons.
Relive Poatan's victory at UFC 300.
Alex Poatan entering the octagon. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
Alex Poatan headlined the historic UFC 300 , held in April 2024 in Las Vegas (USA). On that occasion, the Brazilian entered the octagon to make his first light heavyweight title defense and faced none other than Jamahal Hill , the former champion of the category.
In front of a packed arena, the São Paulo native once again demonstrated his precision and knockout power. Still in the first round, the Brazilian found the perfect timing to connect with a hard left cross that rocked the American. Following that, he followed up with powerful strikes until forcing the referee to stop the fight.
The victory solidified the Brazilian as one of the biggest stars in the UFC at that time and reinforced his position among the organization's most dominant fighters, further expanding the legacy he built after winning belts in two different weight classes.
Illegal coups sparked debate after Poatan's defeat.
Poatan injured after being knocked out by Gane in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC
The controversial moment occurred after the Frenchman landed a jab that knocked the Brazilian down. With Poatan trying to defend himself on the ground, Gane advanced to deliver ground and pound strikes until the referee stopped the fight.
After the fight, videos and images of the sequence began circulating on social media, fueling questions about the legality of some elbow strikes delivered by the former interim heavyweight champion. Some fans pointed out that certain attacks may have hit the back of Poatan's head, a target protected by the Unified Rules of MMA adopted by the UFC and the main athletic commissions in the United States.
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