UFC on ESPN in Atlantic City had plenty of notable accolades on the card. Eight knockouts went down on the card, tying the UFC event record.
At #UFCAtlanticCity we saw 8 knockouts, tying the UFC event record ???? pic.twitter.com/EGWTrouRAL
— UFC (@ufc) March 31, 2024
It’s enough to pen this as a successful event. Showcased on the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” and had eight knockouts on the card? Instant success. That’s what the executives at ESPN want.
But that’s not the most noteworthy part of the event. It stemmed around the finish of Chris Weidman and Bruno Silva, a fight featuring two grizzled MMA veterans. While drama is something ESPN executives don’t mind, it’s something they must deal with regarding this match. What happened between the two fighters that’s causing controversy?
Chris Weidman’s (Double) Eye Poke of Doom
In what was similar to the “Finger Poke of Doom” from the days of WCW, Chris Weidman knocked out Bruno Silva in the third round, countering his punch. However, that’s not what happened upon the replay.
Weidman poked Silva in his right eye, following up with a right hand to Silva’s left eye. However, that wasn’t the first time the “All-American” poked him in the eye.
Weidman also poked his eyes in the second and third rounds, leaving fans to wonder if the former middleweight champion used dirty tactics.
The Aftermath
Of course, this led to Weidman winning the match by a 30-27 decision. Weidman improves to 16-7 while Silva falls to 23-11 overall. With Silva unable to compete and feeling angry at the transpiring results, the UFC world was in shock.
Sure, the “All-American” won and added another victory to his belt. However, the ending marred what was a great card in Atlantic City. Yesterday’s fight was stopped immediately after the eye pokes, leaving some to wonder what happened.
Should the match have been declared a no-contest? Absolutely. Is there a sense of favoritism? That isn’t known. What is known is that Chris Weidman vs. Bruno Silva was a match that altered an otherwise good card on Saturday night.
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Jacob Walters is a boxing/MMA writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @IceColdWJacob
