"So back of the head shots are legal?" - MMA world slams referee as Jasmine Jasudavicius gets away with multiple banned moves at UFC Edmonton
UFC women's flyweight contender Jasmine Jasudavicius claimed her biggest victory yet, securing a third-round brabo choke against Ariane da Silva at UFC Edmonton. However, the bout sparked outrage across the MMA community due to a series of questionable refereeing decisions.
Jasudavicius showcased impressive grappling skills throughout the match, but her ground-and-pound offense included several potentially unintentional strikes to the back of da Silva’s head. In the second round, Jasudavicius dominated on the ground, where she repeatedly landed strikes that appeared to target the back of her rival’s head.
Fans and analysts alike took to social media to express frustration with the officiating, with many questioning why these fouls were not addressed. Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling wrote:
"No warnings about the shots in the back of the head? I mean you’re staring right at the ground and pound bro lol."
Meanwhile, other fans wrote:
"Jasudavicius landed about 20 back of the head shots in round 2, fair play if it isn't punished. Good performance. #UFCEdmonton"
"And adding the many examples, if an opponent is seemingly hurt or turtle-ing up, strikes to the back of the head become legal, at the very worst, a mention from the ref. Jasudavicius landed multiple shots on De Silva. #UFCEdmonton"
"We might as well make back of the head shots legal. They never fu*king enforce it #UFCEdmonton"
Check out some of the reactions below:
In the final round, Jasudavicius transitioned her approach from the ground-and-pound attacks to secure the brabo choke win. With the win at UFC Edmonton, she secured her third victory this year, which remains her best run in the organization so far.
Jasudavicius fought at UFC 297, the opening pay-per-view card of the year, and secured a submission win against Priscila Cachoeira. She returned to the flyweight division to take on Fatima Kline in July and secured a unanimous decision win.