Dana White doubted stoppage during Elder vs. Sadykhov until he saw it up close

Benny A. King

The bout between Nazim Sadykhov and Evan Elder at UFC Vegas 69 was a thrilling back-and-forth battle that ultimately ended in controversy. Sadykhov emerged victorious after the ringside physician stopped the action due to a horrific cut over Elder’s eye, much to the chagrin of UFC president Dana White and Elder himself.

The judges’ scorecards showed that Sadykhov was in danger of losing the bout during the first two rounds. However, Elder’s momentum was halted in the third round when he took a massive knee while attempting a takedown. The referee promptly intervened to halt the action, allowing the ringside physician to inspect Elder’s wound.

The doctor decided to stop it, much to the disappointment of Elder, who was up 20-18 from all three judges heading into the final round. In the aftermath of the stoppage, UFC president Dana White posted a series of gruesome images showing the damage that Elder sustained. While White initially questioned the stoppage, the visuals of the injury proved why it was the right call.

Interestingly, during the presser after, Nazim Sadykhov admitted that it was an accidental headbutt that caused Evan Elder’s cut, which ultimately led to the event being stopped.

Despite the controversy, Sadykhov earned a victory in his octagon debut after previously appearing on Dana White’s Contender Series. The win moved Sadykhov to 8-1 in his career, but the result left a bitter taste in Elder’s mouth.

While the action was intense, the controversial stoppage will undoubtedly be the main talking point for some time. A number of fans on social media called for the result to be overturned into a no contest.