Kyle Nelson vs. BIll Algeo stoppage was slightly early but ultimately the right decision

Kyle Nelson defeated Bill Algeo via TKO, Round 1 - 4:00 at UFC Atlantic City on Saturday, March 30, 2024, live from Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, NJ.

The first round between Nelson and Algeo was as action-packed as it gets. Both fighters threw wild punches as they attempted to get a stoppage. Ultimately, it was Nelson who earned the stoppage. However, referee Gary Copeland's decision to stop the fight was not popular as the crowd roundly booed.

In the lead-up to the stoppage, Nelson landed a big overhand punch that sent Algeo stumbling backward. When Algeo stumbled, Copeland moved in closer, prepared to stop the fight if there was a decisive blow. The two exchanged wild punches as Nelson continued to lay on the damage. Nelson continued to chase Algeo down, landing punches as Algeo struggled to defend himself. Algeo's hands were mostly down and he was not blocking or getting out of the way of the punches. Eventually, the referee saw enough and stopped the fight even though Algeo was still standing. Immediately, Algeo protested the stoppage.

The referee has two roles, first, enforce the rules. The second job is to protect the fighters when they can no longer do it themselves. That is exactly what Copeland did. Algeo was doing a poor job defending himself. Fighters often need to be protected from themselves. Ultimately, to become a fighter you need an irrational confidence and belief that you can win a fight no matter how much damage you take.

Had the fight not been stopped, it would have been extremely unlikely that Algeo would have come back to win the fight. It would have been difficult enough for him to survive the final minute of the round. With such a microscopic chance of winning, the referee's decision to protect the fighter from taking any more damage was the right decision.

With the victory, Nelson improved to 16-5-1 and is now unbeaten in his last four fights. The knockout was Nelson's first knockout in almost five years. The loss ended a two fight winning streak for Algeo and dropped his career record to 18-8.

MMA Twitter shared their opinions about the controversial stoppage