Roy Nelson Explains Kicking Referee After KO Victory

Photo Credit: FOXSports.com

These UFC Heavyweights really like to use kicks as a form of post-fight expression.

UFC Heavyweight Roy Nelson wasted no time letting veteran referee John McCarthy know how he felt about the stoppage over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 95 in Brasilia, Brazil.

After landing a vicious uppercut to the chin of Silva, sending him to the canvas, Nelson continued hammering down on Silva until McCarthy stepped in. Clearly upset over the stoppage, which he believed should of been called as soon as Silva hit the canvas, Nelson threw his arms up in the air then kicked McCarthy. After returning to his corner, Nelson sealed the deal with some middle fingers. Just in case McCarthy still didn’t know he was upset.

When I hit ‘Bigfoot’, I already knew I knocked him out with my first punch and then I got him one more time,” explained Nelson at the post-fight conference. “In my head it was so slow-mo like I’m having a conversation with John going ‘hey man, how’s the weather over there?’. That’s what it felt like. I’m friends with ‘Bigfoot’ and he has a family, I don’t need to keep on punching him in his face.

Although to viewers it looked like a kick, Nelson explains it was more of a push.

“It was a push,” Nelson justified of the post-fight gesture. “It was more like ‘dude come on’ and then we had a conversation in the cage and I was like ‘dude, he was knocked out’ and he said ‘no, he wasn’t.’ I know what a knockout is, that’s what I do for a living, I know what a knockout is.”

Nelson did apologize to McCarthy, a long-time referee for the promotion and highly respected in the industry, but said he doesn’t regret doing it.

While the UFC stated they will not be taking disciplinary action against Nelson, the Brazilian Athletic Commission has yet to state their punishment, if any.