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Thiago Tavares reacts to ‘grotesque mistake,’ TKO loss at PFL 2

Thiago Tavares wants to appeal his controversial PFL 2 loss to Robert Watley, but the situation is trickier than he thought.

The former UFC fighter took on a lightweight prospect in his Professional Fighters League debut on Thursday in Chicago looking to score points to join the 155-pound playoffs later this year, but was hit with an accidental low blow in the second round.

Tavares couldn’t continue after getting five minutes to recover, and such situation would normally lead to a no-contest under the United Rules of MMA. The Illinois State Athlete Commission has a different ruleset, though, and ended up awarding Watley with a TKO victory.