Mixed martial arts: Toa hoping for second opportunity

TOA_matt_and_GUI_johnny_300_Medium.JPG
TOA_matt_and_GUI_johnny_300_Medium.JPG
Dunedin man Matt Toa lost his mixed martial arts title fight, but he may get another chance after the fight ended in controversy in Auckland's North Shore Events Centre on Saturday.

Toa (31) was fighting Auckland's Steven Warby for the Industry of Combat New Zealand heavyweight title.

The referee stopped the fight with a minute and a half left in the second of three scheduled five-minute rounds when he decided Toa could no longer defend himself.

After the fight Toa and his Team Hammerhead corner appealed the decision because they were sure Toa had received illegal knees.

In mixed martial arts it is illegal to knee an opponent in the head when he has three points of body in contact with the canvass.

The points of contact can be hands, elbows, shoulders, feet, and knees.

Toa said he held no ill-feelings towards Warby and described him as a warrior, but he wanted a fair fight for a fair result.

He did not want to win the title on a dispute and instead wanted a no-contest declared and a re-match later this year.

ICNZ Promoter Neil Swailes said regardless of the investigation and because it was such a good fight a re-match was something he wanted at ICNZ's next show in September.

Swailes said he could not comment on the alleged knees because from where he was sitting he could not see.

He said the ref told him after the fight that he was looking out for Toa's safety.

Swailes said there were three cameras positioned around the cage with three different angles so he would go over the footage and the investigation would take about a week.

A decision in favour of Warby, a technical decision in favour of Toa or a no contest would then be declared, Swailes said.

Round one of the title fight was like a kickboxing fight with both fighters landing heavy blows.

Toa said towards the end of the round he tried to take Warby to the ground in an attempt to secure the round, but Warby defended it.

In the second round Toa said he could feel more urgency in Warby's blows.

"He kicked at my body and head a lot more and I blocked the head shots with my arm.

"That took a lot of sting out of my punches."

He said he tried to take Warby to the ground and he wrestled out from the hold but "he came in with some knees to the head and finished me off with some shots on the ground".

Toa said he felt he was well in the fight until those knees.

Dunedin man Philip Lindsay lost to Christchurch fighter Forrest Goodwin in their ICNZ middleweight title fight.

Lindsay, fighting out of Gracie Oceania, was submitted by a rear choke from Goodwin early in the first round.

His team-mate, Benoit Auvray, also lost his fight.

 

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