What is a doctor's stoppage in the UFC? Rule explained with top recent examples

June 21, 2024

Nasim Sadykhov's victory over Evan Elder at UFC Vegas 69 has come under the public radar following an anticlimactic end owing to a doctor's stoppage. Despite the fact that ringside physicians usually make the correct decision when it comes to stopping a fight, a number of high-profile UFC bouts have ended via premature stoppages in the past.

A doctor's stoppage occurs in the UFC when an injured fighter's ability to defend himself is in question. Typically, this is referred to as a "TKO via doctor's stoppage." The fight will be halted momentarily so that the ringside doctor can assess the fighter's injuries. The doctor will notify the referee if the fight cannot continue safely due to an injury, and the fight will be called off by doctor stoppage.

It is important to note that if an illegal blow is the cause of an injury, the referee can declare disqualification or a no-contest. Typically, a doctor examines the fighter between rounds. However, there are times when the referee calls the doctor to examine the fighter during a round when the injury looks serious.

The injury could be as minor as a scratch or as severe as a fracture. Fighters may also be prevented from continuing if they sustain a concussion or head injury. The severity of the injury determines how long the fighter will be sidelined and how long it will take for them to recover before they can compete again.

Most recently, Deiveson Figueiredo lost to Brandon Moreno in their fourth fight by way of TKO via doctor's stoppage after three rounds in front of his home crowd in Rio de Janeiro at UFC 283.

Nate Diaz's fight with Jorge Masvidal for the BMF belt at UFC 244 was halted due to a severe cut above his right eye. At UFC 238, Donald Cerrone blew his nose between rounds, which pushed the air upward and that immediately shut his eye. Tony Ferguson won the bout after the doctor recognized that Cerrone couldn't continue to fight.

Most famously at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier, an injury to Conor McGregor's leg forced a doctor's stoppage. While still being treated by ringside physicians, the Irishman demanded that the result be declared a stoppage by the doctor.

Nazim Sadykhov admits doctor's stoppage victory at UFC Vegas 69 was caused by an accidental headbutt

At UFC Vegas 69 in Las Vegas, the fight between Nazim Sadykhov and Evan Elder was stopped due to a horrific cut over Elder's eye.

During the first two rounds, according to the judges' scorecards, Sadykhov was in a position to lose the fight. Elder took a massive knee in the third round while attempting a takedown, which proved to be the decisive moment of the fight. The referee intervened quickly to stop the fight so the ringside physician could examine a ghastly wound that opened up above his eye.

In the post-fight media scrum, Sadykhov revealed that Elder's cut was caused by an accidental headbutt, which ultimately led to the fight being stopped:

"It was a headbutt... We clashed heads. He was leaning with his head and going in unpredictable directions and we collided. He hit me on the side of my head."

Catch Sadykhov's comments below:

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