Dean Garnett reacted in disbelief after the referee appeared to stop the fight prematurely after losing to Barris Adigeuzer in the PFL European bantamweight final.
Liverpool’s Garnett was temporarily injured after suffering a series of hits at Lyon’s LDLC Arena, with referee Dan Mowahedi calling off the game after just 44 seconds of play after an attempt to knock him down.
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The 37-year-old was disappointed by the decision and reacted angrily.
“What are you doing, kid?” Garnett told the officer.
The Briton shook his head and smiled in confusion as France’s Adi Guzel raised his arm and received the title and $100,000 (£75,000) check.
“This is not the way I wanted to lose, I wanted to go out with my shield. I thought the referee was overzealous and jumped in,” Garnett added on his Instagram after the game.
“I felt the hit to the body and it was a good hit to the body. Fair play to Barris, it’s not his responsibility, but what is it?”
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Garnett described this game before the game as the most important of his 19-game career, both professionally and financially.
But he will feel referee Mowahedi did not give him a fair chance to show his ability.
Garnett was stunned by a right hand to the temple from Adi Guzel, but he immediately showed signs of recovery and knocked down his opponent with a single leg.
However, the referee did not give Garnett time to complete the move as he stepped in to end the fight.
“Let me fight, I’m here to work. Are you kidding me. Thanks for the support, but that’s not the way you want it,” Garnett said.
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“The referee’s decision was not good enough, I deserved better.”
Fellow Briton Connor Hughes also suffered a heavy defeat in the lightweight final, being knocked out in the third round by Latvian Alexander Chizov.
The 28-year-old Hughes was competing in the final for a second consecutive year after losing to Jakub Kasuba in 2024, but he lost again.
After two intense rounds, both sides traded sharp combinations, and Chizov landed the decisive blow with a huge straight punch from his right hand.
With Hughes on his back, the referee stopped the fight, giving Chizov the biggest win of his 16-fight career.
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Earlier, Wales’ Levi Batchelor lost a split decision to Rayan Balbali, while Britain’s Liam Gittens lost a unanimous decision to Taylor Lapilus.
