Bantamweight prospect Merab Dvalishvili is planning to appeal the controversial loss he suffered to Ricky Simon at UFC Atlantic City.
Up on the scorecards and on his way to capturing his first Octagon win, Dvalishvili was caught in a Hail Mary mounted guillotine by Simon in the closing minute of his fight at UFC Atlantic City on Saturday night. The native Georgian somehow persevered through the choke and never tapped, however that didn’t end up mattering. Dvalishvili officially lost via TKO at 5:00 of the third round — the latest stoppage in a three-round fight in UFC history — after officials for the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (NJSACB) ruled that he had been rendered unconscious by Simon’s submission upon the fight’s conclusion.