The moment divided opinion on the Inside the Ring broadcast.
Teofimo Lopez said: “They say that he hit with the elbow at the end. But I even then, although I think that it was not intentional,” said Teo.
Max Kellerman took the opposite view, describing the movement as consistent with infighting habits, where fighters turn short shots into elbows at close range.
The repetition became the focus because the action did not read as a simple sequel. The elbow seemed to come on its own, not as the natural end of a punch. That distinction is often the difference between a missed call and a mistake.
Unlike an accidental elbow that occurs when a punch misses its target, this move appeared to be the primary offensive action. The arm did not extend into a punch, but remained bent and led with the joint.
Benavidez was statistically dominant, making the error theoretically “unnecessary” to the win. Ramirez landed 89 total punches compared to Benavidez’s 151. At the time of the stoppage, Benavidez was up 50-44 on the scorecards. It was clean.
Ramirez, who has never been stopped in 50 professional fights, went down immediately as soon as the impact landed on his eye. This led to arguments that the strike was a direct result of an illegal strike rather than the accumulation of the “machine gun” combinations that Benavidez landed throughout the fight.
No official action was taken. The result is a win for Benavidez, who has already established control with hand speed and volume at cruiserweight.
Inside exchanges often include forearms and shoulders as fighters work for position. Referees rarely stop the action unless the movement is clear. In this case, the speed of the finish and the damage already done made it easy to blow away at the moment.
The replay changed how the ending is seen. The finish that looked clean at first glance now carries a question that wasn’t directly there.
