'I'm not a bad person': Dione Barbosa adamant illegal kick didn't change Melissa Gatto fight at UFC Vegas 115
Barbosa narrowly avoided a loss after an illegal soccer kick landed in her controversial UFC Vegas 115 bout.
Dione Barbosa is happy and healthy days after her third UFC win. But her bubbly demeanor belies what could've been a costly mistake this past Saturday at UFC Vegas 115 . Controversy struck early in the second round of her flyweight bout against Melissa Gatto, when Gatto attempted to stand from a grounded position.
The sequence opened Barbosa's opponent up for a blatantly illegal soccer kick — which Barbosa swiftly delivered, resulting in a point deduction. Gatto appeared to go unconscious from the kick after briefly staggering around on her knees, one of which was down by the slimmest margin during the offending sequence. Despite that, the fight continued, leading Gatto to suffer a majority decision loss rather than a disqualification win or a no-contest.
Barbosa, however, insists the strike was unintentional — and didn't even connect with Gatto's head. "It's crazy," Barbosa told Uncrowned. "I didn't feel it at all, any part in my foot.
When you kick solid parts on the body, especially when you kick the [head] ... your foot hurts, 100%. This strike?
Continue to the original source for the full article.