UFC heavyweight Justin Tava didn’t feel the right call was made when his fight with Austin Lane at UFC Jacksonville was declared a no-contest.
Hours after he was disqualified from Saturday’s event, Tafa posted on Twitter a photo of his injured eye along with a call for justice.
“I deserve the reward for winning,” Tafa wrote. “this [disqualification] man.”
TAVA was declared a no contest against Lane just 29 seconds into the heavyweight contest at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Lin’s finger visibly went to Tafa’s left eye after an exchange, and Tafa immediately doubled in obvious pain.
Blood can be seen gushing from Tava’s eye after the poke.
Referee Dan Miragliotta called the cage doctor to the ring after asking Tava if he was okay to continue. After a brief examination, the doctor refused to release Tava to continue, and the fight was cancelled.
The main point in the official score was the no-contest raised by Miragliotta’s determination that Lin’s eye poke was accidental. If the referee had decided that on purpose, Lin would have been disqualified.
Here’s the sequence that led up to the call and its aftermath, which prompted an immediate response from fellow Tava fighters.
Shortly after Tafa’s post, Lin responded to his opponent on Twitter and apologized for the unfortunate incident.
“Justin Tava… I apologize,” he wrote. “Not how I wanted it to go down. This s*** is on me and I hope your eye is all right.
“To the city I call home. The energy you gave me while I was out will be something I will remember for the rest of my life. I’m sorry I couldn’t perform for you.”
Justin Tava… I apologize. Not how I wanted to go down. This shit is on me and I hope your eye is alright.
To the city I call home. The energy you gave me while I was out will be something I will remember for the rest of my life. I’m sorry I couldn’t introduce you.
– Austin Lin (@A_Train_92) June 24, 2023
Lin, a defensive end in the NFL before turning to professional MMA, made his UFC Jacksonville debut after being awarded a contract at The Contender Series. He is 12-3 as a professional.