The UFC declared the bout the Fight of the Night and awarded each fighter a $50,000 bonus.
MMA Weekly got the statement from Greg Sirb, executive director of the PSAC:
"After review of the tape of this contest and after consultation with the referee the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission has ruled that the results of this match will be changed to a no contest.
"This change is a direct result from an accidental kick to the head by Mr. Oliveira to a grounded Mr. Lentz."
Lentz' coach Greg Nelson won't be surprised. He spoke to MMA Fighting about the fight:"This change is a direct result from an accidental kick to the head by Mr. Oliveira to a grounded Mr. Lentz."
"It's the illegal knee that basically knocked Nik Lentz out so he could get his back and hook him," Nelson told MMA Fighting on Monday evening. "I mean, he was clearly down. That knee broke Nik Lentz's eye socket, so it was not a soft knee. He took his time, held the back of the head, wound up the knee and then let it go. ...It was a super hard knee that ended up doing a lot of damage.
"All the other referees were jumping up, guys from the commission were jumping up, I was jumping up. A lot of people were wondering what was going on, why the fight wasn't being stopped, because it was so blatant. Then the crowd, when they saw the replay, it was doubly obvious to them."
Oliveira on the other hand, told Sherdog that he expected his win to stand:"All the other referees were jumping up, guys from the commission were jumping up, I was jumping up. A lot of people were wondering what was going on, why the fight wasn't being stopped, because it was so blatant. Then the crowd, when they saw the replay, it was doubly obvious to them."
"He wasn't knocked out by the knee," Oliveira told Sherdog.com. "He got hit, but kept fighting, grabbed my legs, and only after the second knee landed did he let me climb on his back to submit him. The move was in the heat of the fight. I didn't intend to use it to my advantage. I was winning the second round the same way I won the first. I'm confident the commission won't declare it a no-contest. It was a mistake on the referee's part. The result is in their hands, but, for now, I'm the winner, and I'm okay with that.
"Joe Silva said I was brilliant," Oliveira revealed. "He said for the UFC, I was the winner, but the Pennsylvania commission opted to review the tape. I'm frustrated, because that moment took the luster off my performance and turned the attention to something else."
Oliveira had been winning the fight before the illegal knee, but it was a good performance from both fighters with Lentz acquitting himself well."Joe Silva said I was brilliant," Oliveira revealed. "He said for the UFC, I was the winner, but the Pennsylvania commission opted to review the tape. I'm frustrated, because that moment took the luster off my performance and turned the attention to something else."
