What began as a competitive flyweight bout at UFC Macau ended in one of the most unfortunate finishes of the entire event with a heartbreaking no-contest.

Veteran fighter Alex Perez and China’s Su Mudaerji kicked off the main event at Galaxy Arena on Saturday, with both men keen for a statement performance. For Perez, it was another opportunity to remain relevant in the flyweight picture.

On the other hand, ‘The Tibetan Eagle’ saw it as an opportunity to stop a difficult night from getting even worse for the home crowd after several Chinese fighters had already suffered defeats earlier on the card.

The first round was close but awkward at times, with both fighters failing to find their groove at kicking distance. Alex Perez gradually solved the distance problem by consistently stepping inside Su Mudaerji’s reach and delivering cleaner punches. The 34-year-old also used clinch work and nearly finished the round with a guillotine choke after catching the Chinese fighter during a surprise takedown attempt.

Things changed dramatically early in the second round. Su Mudaerji finally found a breakthrough when a clean left hand badly hurt Perez. The Chinese flyweight swiftly followed him to the mat and landed heavy ground strikes, forcing Perez to survive a dangerous stretch before eventually recovering enough to continue.

Just when the fight appeared to be picking up, disaster struck. Su Mudaerji delivered a left front kick that struck right on Alex Perez’s groin. The American quickly collapsed on the canvas, clearly in pain. He began vomiting cageside moments later, prompting referee Kevin Craig to stop the fight.

Even UFC commentator Laura Sanko could be heard sqeamishly reacting to the disturbing scene as the 34-year-old continued struggling to recover. The situation only worsened during the allotted recovery period. Even though the foul was ruled accidental and Su Mudaerji was penalised a point, Perez was unable to continue fighting.

After several minutes, the referee officially waved the contest off. The bout was ultimately ruled a No Contest at 1:45 of Round 2 following the inadvertent groin strike. This was not something that many expected to see at UFC Macau.

Back at UFC 326 earlier this year, Cody Garbrandt also ended up puking after receiving three low blows in quick succession against Chinese fighter Xiao Long, and interestingly, he had Alex Perez in his corner back then. But while the former bantamweight champion was able to grab a win back then despite the groin shots, this fight did not meet the same fate.

And while it is understood that fans will be disappointed at the finish, it turns out they are equally disappointed at the poor display of refereeing tonight at UFC Macau as uproar hit social media.

UFC Macau referee gets called out for mishandling the situation

As frustrating as the ending was, many fans felt upset by how the situation was handled after Alex Perez went down. The lengthy pause, doubt over whether a point would be deducted, and uncertainty over whether the fight would continue quickly diverted the focus away from the fighters and onto the officiating.

Social media was flooded with criticism directed at referee Kevin Craig. “This doctor and referee are a joke. Just stop the fight. It’s over,” one fan wrote. Another pointed out the bizarre optics of the situation, posting: “The referee asks Alex Perez to stand up and walk it off after a nut shot. Perez says he needs a bucket and starts puking into it.”

Others felt the point deduction should have happened much sooner, with one fan writing, “This is ridiculous. You need to take a point,” while another simply stated, “Referee Mark Craig is handling this very poorly.”

Not everyone was sympathetic towards Perez, however. Some viewers questioned how badly he was actually hurt, with comments ranging from “He’s lowkey faking; idc” to “He’s not even puking. All cap.”

Others were less concerned about the controversy itself and more traumatised by the graphic visuals during breakfast hours. “Alex Perez puking into the bucket just in time for breakfast on the East Coast,” one fan joked, while another wrote, “Bro, I was eating. I’m not tryna watch Alex Perez puke.”

Either way, the fight ended with fans arguing about refereeing, vomiting, and officiating decisions rather than the action inside the cage, which is likely the most disappointing aspect of all after what was supposed to be a supershow at UFC Macau.