Lance Gibson Jr. had a perfect night at UFC Seattle, but it came with an unexpected twist. After securing a highlight-reel finish, the lightweight claimed that the referee may have accidentally struck him during the fight.
Speaking backstage after the fight, the 10-2-0 revealed something unusual. With stitches on his forehead, he claimed that the injury he got during the last scramble might not have come from his opponent at all.
“You know what’s crazy? It was from the ref,” he told Full Send MMA. “I’m almost certain. Okay, they might play it back, but it was in the last tumble on the ground.
“I got up, and I was like, ‘What the hell did I get hit with?’ I don’t know what I got hit with. I’m pretty sure the ref back-elbowed me.”
Lance Gibson Jr admits he actually suffered a cut from the referee pulling him off Chase Hooper after his TKO win
“You know what’s crazy it was from the ref. The last tumble I got up and didn’t know what I got hit with. I’m pretty sure the ref back elbowed me”
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‘Fearless’ stopped Chase Hooper in the first round with a barrage of elbows and knees, scoring his first UFC victory in front of his hometown crowd at the Climate Pledge Arena. The ending was explosive, with Hooper rocked early and unable to recover after Gibson Jr. increased the pressure.
The moment in question appeared to occur during a chaotic exchange on the ground right before the stoppage. With both fighters scrambling and the referee, Blake Grice, going in to stop the fight, it’s possible that an unintentional collision occurred in the middle of the action.
Despite the bizarre claim, the incident didn’t take anything away from Lance Gibson Jr.’s performance at UFC Seattle. The Canadian displayed fast striking and poise under pressure, overwhelming Chase Hooper in just under three minutes.
With his first UFC win under his belt, he not only delivered on the biggest stage of his career but also walked away with one of the night’s strangest post-fight stories. A perfect night for the fighter, and one that got him really emotional as it came 26 years and 18 days after his UFC veteran father’s first win in the promotion as well.
Lance Jr. continues the Gibson legacy
Lance Gibson Jr.’s win at UFC Seattle was more than just his first UFC victory. It carried a deeper meaning, linking his moment to his father’s journey in the promotion. The finish came exactly 26 years and 18 days after Lance Gibson Sr. won his first UFC fight, making the achievement feel almost scripted.
The emotional weight of that moment became obvious soon after the fight. Gibson Jr., who grew up around the sport, reflected on how he once dreamed of competing on a stage like this.
“I’d sit outside of this arena and dream of being on a stage as big as this and accomplishing my dreams,” he said in the post-fight interview. “I finished with a knee 26 years later, after my dad finished with a knee knockout.”
For Lance Gibson Jr., this was more than just a victory; it was validation. From building his name outside the UFC to finally breaking through on this stage, the finish marked a turning point. And, with his father watching from his corner, the moment felt less like a debut win and more like the continuation of a legacy.
