Mohamed Yahya wasn’t given a fair chance to fight out of danger in his first-round KO loss to Hassan Talal at Desert Force 25.
Yahya (3-1), who was caught with a big right hand in just 60 seconds into the first round at Monday’s event at King Hussein Sports City, Amman, Jordan, claims he wasn’t given a fair shake by referee Azzam Al Masri in the lightweight contest which ended in controversial stoppage.
Yahya was dropped early by Talal as he was caught off balance after delivering a low kick. He was undoubtedly hurt, but with his consciousness still intact thought he could have fought through the compromising situation.
He wasn’t given that chance, though. The referee jumped in while Yahya was already recovering his guard.
Although Yahya can’t deny he was in a bad spot, the video clearly shows that he was caught off balance and as he hit the ground, he directly started positioning his legs in a smart way to defend himself and keep Talal away.
Zahi Ephrem of ArabsMMA said: This fight was one of the most anticipated on the card. Yahya and Talal are two very talented prospects with styles that are made to entertain. Too bad the referee denied us this opportunity. If you look closely at the video, you will see Yahya clearly re positioning himself way before the referee even got close to stop the fight. Of-course mistakes happen, even with world class referees yet a rematch is only a fair choice in this situation.
