UFC Vegas 115 video: Dione Barbosa delivers brutal illegal soccer kick but still wins majority decision

Dione Barbosa delivered an absolutely brutal illegal soccer kick in her fight against Melissa Gatta but she ultimately only faced a one-point penalty before going onto a win a majority decision.

The bizarre situation unfolded in the second round after Gatto was on her back when she attempted to get back to her feet again and Barbosa unloaded a huge kick with a reverberation that echoed in the Meta APEX. The shot sent Gatto spinning on her back, seemingly unconscious momentarily from the illegal blow as referee Chris Tognoni paused the action.

Commission officials reviewed the footage for almost a full five minutes as Gatto recovered. Replays showed that Gatto’s hand and shin were on the ground, which means the kick was illegal but the referee didn’t immediately disqualify Barbosa for the foul.

Instead, Tognoni penalized Barbosa with a one-point deduction and Gatto was allowed to continue despite the damage done from the illegal kick.

While Gatto fought valiantly once the fight continued — and remarkably so after she looked completely knocked out after the illegal kick — Barbosa largely stayed in control for the remainder of the fight showing off a solid grappling game and avoiding any real punishment on the feet.

The fight eventually went to decision with the judges returning scores reading 28-28, 29-27 and 29-27, which was enough for Barbosa to get the majority decision victory.

The win moves Barbosa to 3-2 in her UFC career while Gatto falls to 3-3 inside the octagon.