Gunnar Nelson was appealing a loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio from July in Scotland. The basis of that challenge was that Ponzinibbio poked Nelson in the eye seconds before a knockout punch finished Nelson in the first round at UFC Glasgow.
According to multiple members of Nelson’s team — and Nelson himself — on social media, the appeal was denied by the UFC this week. And Nelson’s management and coaches are none too pleased by the decision. Nelson and team were hoping the result would be overturned to at least a no contest.
“There was no time to signal to the referee between the final eye poke and the KO blow,” wrote John Kavanagh, one of Nelson’s coaches at SBG Ireland, on Facebook.