UFC: Defeated Jack Marshman 'disappointed' with fight stoppage

Santos takes down Marshman in the first round

Welshman Jack Marshman says he was disappointed with the decision to stop his fight with Thiago Santos following his defeat at UFC Halifax.

Marshman, 27, was caught with a spinning heel kick by the Brazilian in the second round of their Ultimate Fighting Championship bout in Canada.

He fell to the floor and defended a number of ground shots, causing the referee to step in and end the fight.

"I'm disappointed with the stoppage," Marshman told BBC Wales Sport.

"The referee is there for our safety but in reality I don't think I was (knocked) out.

"But he landed a great kick and it's my fault for getting caught with that kick."

Marshman traded a number of big hits with his Brazilian opponent in a first round that was full of action.

Santos lands with a spinning kick

Santos had Marshman on the ground and seemed in the ascendency for the first four minutes of the round, but the Welshman, who does striking training with former world champion boxer Gavin Rees, fought back.

He managed to return to his feet after avoiding a submission scenario and then caught Santos with a right hand to the head as the Brazilian attempted a kick, knocking him to the floor.

The former soldier from Abertillery also looked to be on top at the start of the second round, but Santos's sweeping kick ended the fight within seconds.

"I knew he was a step up but I didn't feel out of place in there with him," Marshman said. "I put him down in the first; he put me down in the second. But the ref stopped mine.

"I'm a bit gutted it got stopped really because I would have loved to have seen the third round and put on a show."

The defeat ends Marshman's seven-fight winning streak - which included a victorious start to his UFC career in November.

He now faces a 45-day medical suspension that rules him out of being a late addition to the UFC London card on 18 March.