Steven Nguyen set a UFC record with six knockdowns en route to a technical knockout victory over Mohammad Yahya. In the first round, the Vietnamese-American fighter landed 47 significant strikes to the head and knocked down Yahya five times. In the second round, Nguyen landed three more knockdowns, although the UFC officially counted two due to one being attributed to a slip. The fight was finally stopped by the doctor due to significant swelling around Yahya's left eye.

Yahya suffered a fractured cheekbone and orbital bone. He left the arena on a stretcher and may require facial reconstructive surgery.

UAE fighter Yahya loses to Vietnamese-American Steven Nguyen by TKO at the UFC Fight Night event in the UAE on the evening of 26/7/2025. Photo: Zuffa LLC

UAE fighter Yahya loses to Vietnamese-American Steven Nguyen by TKO at the UFC Fight Night event in the UAE on the evening of 26/7/2025. Photo: Zuffa LLC

After the third knockdown, Nguyen repeatedly paused, seemingly expecting the referee to stop the fight or Yahya to quit. However, neither referee Herzog nor Yahya's corner intervened.

Following the featherweight (under 65.8 kg) bout, the international MMA community reacted negatively to the referee's decision to let the fight continue. Former UFC fighter Zac Pauga wrote on X, "Herzog wants to see a dead body up close, and I respect that,".

Veteran MMA commentator Dan Hardy wrote, "Yahya looked like his orbital was broken. This guy is tough. I kind of want to stop watching,".

The Daily Mail quoted several MMA fans who felt the fight should have been stopped sooner. "Herzog deserves to be fired, that wasn't a fight, it was a career-altering injury," one X user wrote.

Another commented, "Get Herzog out of the sport. He’s useless. From one of the best refs to the worst of the worst,".

Many other comments referenced the famous "If he dies, he dies" line from the movie Rocky IV, implying Herzog's apparent disregard for Yahya's well-being.

Renowned referee John McCarthy also discussed the fight on his Weighing In podcast. He argued that Herzog could have stopped the fight earlier, especially considering the extent of Yahya's injuries versus the potential outcome of the fight.

"You can't let these lower-level fighters take this kind of damage," McCarthy said. "When they're getting beat up like that, they're not going to win this fight. There's no good reason to allow the fighter to continue taking further damage,".

Referee Herzog (right) officiates the Steven Nguyen vs. Yahya fight. Photo: Zuffa LLC

Referee Herzog (right) officiates the Steven Nguyen vs. Yahya fight. Photo: Zuffa LLC

Beyond the controversy surrounding the stoppage, there was also discussion among referees about the judges scoring the fight 10-8 for Nguyen instead of 10-7, a rare score reflecting a complete domination by one fighter.

McCarthy believed a 10-7 score was warranted in the UAE bout. However, he speculated that the judges were trying to protect their careers by avoiding the rare scorecard.

"I think they're afraid. A lot of these judges aren't in America. They're in Europe and they want to keep their jobs," he said. "So they're looking for the safe route. But they didn't give Steven Nguyen what he deserved for what he did,".

Nguyen's first UFC victory earned him a Performance of the Night bonus of 50,000 USD, equivalent to 1.25 billion Vietnamese dong. In his previous loss, both Nguyen and his opponent Errens each received 50,000 USD for Fight of the Night.

Born in Kansas, USA, to Vietnamese parents, Nguyen began his martial arts journey at a young age. He started competing in amateur MMA events in 2011 in the US, amassing a record of nine wins and one loss. He turned professional in 2016 and currently holds a professional record of 10 wins and two losses.

Trung Thu