UFC exec 'concerned' over late stoppage in Neil Magny win over Hector Lombard

The beating UFC welterweight Neil Magny gave Hector Lombard at UFC Fight Night 85 was so prolonged, it actually set a record. Magny landed 100 ground strikes, setting a new UFC mark. The American also scored 142 strikes landed in round two, the third-most ever in a single UFC round.

Many observers wondered why referee Steve Perceval - no stranger to controversy for previous quick stand-ups and missed groin strikes - didn't stop as Magny landed waves of unanswered shots in the second round on Lombard, who was on his belly and barely using his hands to cover his face and head.

Tom Wright, the UFC's managing director for operations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, agreed with a reporter's question at the post-fight press conference that the fight should've been stopped a lot sooner.

"We were a lot concerned," Wright said. "I think [Magny] said it best. It's the referee's job, is to make sure that a fight is stopped, that the athlete can protect himself or herself. I'm sitting not quite as close as the referee was, but I thought that fight should've been stopped and it should've been stopped a long time before."

Magny lost the first round handily to Lombard, but stormed back in the second, taking a series of dominant positions while slamming home shot after shot. During the second round, Lombard appeared helpless and referee Perceval looked on, but ultimately let the bout go.

The bout did go to the third round, but ended just 26 seconds in as Lombard was simply unable to defend himself in any capacity. The loss marked the first time Lombard has ever been stopped in his professional career.