UFC referee Chris Tognoni roasts Matt Schnell following brutal knockout loss to Steve Erceg
Matt Schnell was on the wrong side of one of UFC Vegas 87’s most brutal knockouts.
Just 26 seconds into the second round, Schnell’s opponent, Steve Erceg, unleashed a hellacious left that instantly sent ‘Danger’ crashing to the canvas. Perhaps more brutal than the final blow was the sound of Schnell’s head bouncing off the canvas.
The KO earned Erceg a well-deserved $50,000 performance bonus. Sadly, all Schnell got for his trouble was being roasted by referee Chris Tognoni who was assigned to the main card opener.
“Man, I’m not sure what was worse, the punch or you hitting your head on the canvas, man,” Tognoni said while patting Schnell on the chest. “You’ll see on the film.”
“Did you hear it?” he asked Schnell’s corner, who responded with a small nod.
Though the subject of some criticism in the past, Tognoni has proven himself to be a competent referee, for the most part, and likely meant well with his comments. However, his poor choice of words and/or delivery made it seem like he was sh*t-talking Schnell seconds after his soul was separated from his body.
A 13-fight veteran of the UFC, Matt Schnell has now lost three of his last four bouts inside the Octagon, the lone win coming against Sumudaerji via second-round submission in July 2022.
As for Steve Erceg, the Aussie standout is now 3-0 since signing with the promotion last year. In addition to his victory inside The APEX on Saturday, ‘Astro Boy’ has also scored wins over David Dvořák and Alessandro Costa.
