Ratner: Silva Loss at UFC 142 Will Not Be Overturned

Silva caught Prater with a knee before landing a flurry of strikes on the ground to earn an apparent stoppage 29 seconds into the opening frame of their middleweight bout. However, referee Mario Yamasaki ruled that Silva was disqualified for landing illegal blows to the back of his opponent's head, giving Prater the victory. Replays appeared to indicate that at least one of Silva's punches landed to the back of Prater's head.

"Based on the referee's verbal warnings and his determination that the blows were intentional and a disqualifying foul, this is not the type of decision that can be reviewed. Therefore the decision stands," Ratner said. "Recently, Zuffa has decided to implement the use of instant replay at all international events that are self-regulated and to encourage all regulators to consider the feasibility and effectiveness of instant replay in the sport of MMA. While instant replay would not have reversed the call in the Silva-Prater bout, we believe that it could be valuable to referees and the sport in the future."

Silva was awarded an undisclosed win bonus for the Jan. 14 event, which took place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Both of the 27-year-old's UFC appearances have been brief, as he earned a 40-second technical knockout victory over Luis Ramos in August. Prater, meanwhile, now has five consecutive victories dating back to February 2011.