A Dana White's Contender Series bout ended in a mere 32 seconds Tuesday, but not without controversy.
A lot happened in a little amount of time in the featherweight bout between Ian Escuza and Luca Borando at Meta APEX. Escuza (8-0) was named the victor by TKO after a video review by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).
The finish occurred against the cage. Escuza blasted Borando (9-2) with a series of knees that started off legal. However, the final one Escuza landed blasted Borando while he was clearly grounded. Escuza then followed up with a series of punches before the fight was stopped.
Referee Herb Dean had a clear view of the foul but did not call it. Commission officials including Dean and NAC executive director Jeff Mullen huddled around
a monitor to watch the replay. Despite Borando appearing grounded, the commission decided not to change the result of the bout.
According to the broadcast, the rationale was rooted in the final blow being deemed as not contributing to the finish. The decision had many viewers and media members scratching their heads.
THAT WAS QUICK ⚡️
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) September 29, 2026
Ian Escuza gets the fast first round TKO!
[ #DWCS | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/BfoIWAuAIL
MMA Junkie has reached out to Borando's management to see if they plan to challenge the result.
For now, Escuza wins and maintains his 100 percent finishing rate.
Borando, meanwhile, has a five-fight winning streak snapped.
Up-to-the-minute DWCS 94 results include:
- Ian Escuza def. Luca Borando via TKO (knees) – Round 1, 0:32
- Aieza Bertolso def. Camila Reynoso via submission (D'Arce choke) – Round 1, 3:02
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: DWCS video: Controversial 32-second fight ends after commission deems blatant foul insignificant
