UFC 142 Results: Despite Disqualification, Erick Silva Gets Win Bonus

Rising Brazilian welterweight prospect Erick Silva will be paid his win bonus following a controversial loss to Carlo Prater at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Silva connected with a big knee just seconds into the main card bout, dropping Prater to the canvas. He followed with a barrage of hammer fists and the fight was stopped at the 29-second mark of the first round.

As Silva and the crowd celebrated what they believed was his second straight Octagon victory in less than a minute, referee Mario Yamasaki revealed surprising news after checking the health of Prater.

Yamasaki ruled that Silva’s hammer fists had landed to the back of Prater’s head and that Silva was disqualified. Prater’s hand was raised in victory while a confused Silva looked dismayed. The “loss” is the first for Silva in more than five years.

The crowd, including UFC president Dana White, was incensed by the ruling. Replays showed that the majority of Silva’s blows were in fact legal and Yamasaki’s decision was instantly criticized by Joe Rogan following the bout. Yamasaki was put on the spot by Rogan in the post-fight interviews, and despite his explanation of the decision, most felt he made the wrong call.

As a result, the promotion has awarded Silva his win bonus for his performance. However, the promotion did not release the amount that the 27-year-old earned.

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, Follow @RobTatumMMA.