JACK SHORE's long-awaited UFC return ended prematurely thanks to a gaping gash on his left shin.
The Welsh warrior returned to the octagon last Sunday at UFC 301 in Brazil following a 13-month layoff.
Shore, 29, was welcomed back to action by Joanderson Brito - who implemented a leg-kick heavy from the outset of the Rio rumble.
One of the Brazilian's hard low kicks paid dividends as it opened up a wound on the left shin of Shore, which UFC commentator Jon Anik likened to a "bullet wound".
Despite blood pouring out of the laceration, Shore continued to move well - although that didn't stop the referee from halting the contest to get the doctor's opinion on the cut.
And after poking around and inside the wound, the cageside physician decided to wave off the contest - which resulted in Shore suffering a second-round TKO loss.
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MMA fans around the world were left baffled by the stoppage, with one saying: "That was a bulls*** stoppage."
Another said: "This sport has gone soft.”
And another said: "What an awful stoppage!"
One remarked: "Dumbbest stoppage in UFC history."
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Another chimed in: "It was a small cut in his leg."
One baffled fight fan said: "That Jack Shore stoppage is nonsense.
"The wound was pressed and no further blood came out and it clearly wasn’t fight-ending."
It was later revealed that the doctor halted the fight as he believed Shore had suffered a fractured shin, which X-rays showed wasn't the case.
Shore voiced his frustrations on social media, writing on Instagram: "Wasn’t to be Saturday night in Rio.
"Obviously devastated for the fight to end the way it did.
"As a fighter, I’d much prefer to go out on my shield.
"For the doctor to call off the fight without even asking me if I wanted to continue is some wild s**t.
"Especially after sticking his finger into the open cut on my shin, that’s a new one even for me.
"Despite him trying to tell me it was fractured, X-rays showed that it wasn’t and was just a cut in the shin and a swollen calf which I knew all along.
"[I] felt good in stages and would of loved to of seen what I could of done in the 3rd [round].
"I’d of gone all night, I’ll never quit, fighters fight.
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"Massive respect to my opponent & his team and a big shout out to the Brazilian fans who were great all week before and after the fight!"
Defeat to Brito was Shore's first since moving up to featherweight last March at UFC 286, where he scored a sensational submission victory over Makwan Amirkhani.