Jamie Pickett will no longer appeal his UFC 285 loss to Bo Nickal, according to his manager.
LaMont Chappell of LCA Sports Management, the agency that represents Pickett, informed MMA Junkie shortly after the March 4 fight that he was firm on appealing a perceived missed groin strike prior to the finish.
Circumstances have changed, however, as Chappell informed MMA Junkie on Friday that an appeal won’t be filed. According to Chappell, Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Jeff Mullen recently indicated to him that there are not grounds to qualify for an appeal. As a result, Chappell did not follow through with filing one.
NAC spokesperson Frankie Mason confirmed to MMA Junkie that Pickett’s team was recently notified of the qualifications of the appeal process and that the commission did not receive an official appeal.
Mason pointed to NAC 467.770, the statute that states a result can be overturned following a decision for one of three reasons, with only one relevant to the challenge at hand.
- The Commission determines that there was collusion affecting the result of the contest or exhibition
- The compilation of the scorecards of the judges discloses an error, which shows that the decision was given to the wrong unarmed combatant; or
- As the result of an error in interpreting a provision of this chapter, the referee has rendered an incorrect decision.
Chappell told MMA Junkie that he’s disappointed and hopes the bylaws of the appeal process can be revisited and revised for future instances.
“While disappointed with the rules that govern appeals, I still remain hopeful that cases like ours will continue to shape future conversations regarding judging and officiating that are called into question,” Chappell said in a written statement. “After speaking to a representative of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, we as a combat sports community should be more diligent in pushing for the tough conversations to better advocate for our fighters.”
Nickal, a former Dan Hodge Trophy winner in wrestling, needed just 2:54 to win the bout by submission. However, prior to the fight hitting the mat, Nickal kneed Pickett in the midsection along the fence. Pickett visibly grimaced once it landed, but referee Keith Peterson allowed the action to continue.
After the fight, the two sides disagreed whether or not the strike should’ve been deemed a foul.
“I hit him in the leg, in the thigh,” Nickal said. “I had him in a bad position along the wall. He wanted to get off the wall, and he wanted the ref to stop it. If I were to have actually hit him low, I would feel bad, because I don’t want to win that way. I’m not a cheater. I’m not somebody who tries to take short cuts. If I did hit him low, I would’ve just relaxed probably or let the ref stop it. But I didn’t hit him low at all, so it’s a weird move, bro.”
Mullen recently told MMA Fighting that the commission, including Peterson, reviewed the foul shortly after it occurred inside the cage but found no conclusive evidence it was illegal.
“The review official cannot overturn the in-cage referees decision without indisputable video evidence,” Mullen said.