Fabricio Werdum vs Renan Ferreira PFL 3 outcome overturned

Fabricio Werdum vs Renan Ferreira is now officially a no-decision.

The news of this outcome pivot came via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.

The PFL fight between Fabricio Werdum and Renan Ferreira from last Thursday night has been overturned to a no contest by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board. Story coming to @espnmma.

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) May 10, 2021

Initially ruled a first-round TKO for Ferreira, there was controversy when a couple of phantom taps from Renan Ferreira popped up on replay.

Vai Cavalo contested that he loosened the triangle choke he had applied when he felt Ferreira’s pair of taps. Shortly thereafter, Renan Ferreira rained down ferocious ground and pound to result in the referee intervening.

Werdum indicated in his post-fight interview that his camp would be seeking to appeal this decision.

Commission members later reviewed this tape in more thorough detail along with the referee of the contest Keith Peterson.

Ferreira initially scored six points over Werdum when the fght was ruled a TKO in the first frame. Now that this is a no-decision affair, each man will receive a single point ala if the ruling was a draw.

This points-related detail came via PFL officials.

OFFICIAL: The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board has overturned the result of Werdum vs Ferreira to a No Decision. Per the PFL rules, both fighters receive 1 point in the heavyweight standings. pic.twitter.com/9kwudsPYmP

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 10, 2021

Fabricio Werdum vs Renan Ferreira

Renan Ferreira had a dialogue with Combate after the bout and contested he did not tap. Ferreira conceded the hand movements looked like he tapped in slow motion. But felt that they looked inconsequential in real time and he was just in the process of getting out of what he felt wasn’t an optimally applied choke.

This would have been by far the biggest win in Renan Ferreira’s MMA career who now has a record of 6-2 with one no contest.

For Werdum, the former UFC heavyweight champion’s debut in PFL marks the first no contest in the 35 fight veteran’s career so far.

Appealing bout outcomes generally don’t work out favorably for the fighter at the nucleus of the appeal. But recent examples belie that generality.

The PFL heavyweight season kicked off last Thursday and this Werdum versus Ferreira prizefight topped the event’s marquee. PFL 3 took place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

What do you think about this decision to alter the bout outcome for PFL 3’s main event?

Dylan Bowker

I've been enamored with combat sports for as long as I can remember. I've hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, Mark Coleman, and more. I've been an MMA broadcaster for XFFC as well as BTC and have done play by play commentary on live pay per view on GFL as well as FITE TV. I've provided written, audio, and video content covering some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage. I've worked as a sports entertainment personality for over five years and given play-by-play or featured promotions of KSW, ONE Championship, TKO, and Invicta FC. My work can be found in the USA Today Sports affiliate MMA Torch, Cageside Press, MMA Sucka, and Liberty Multimedia.

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