Welcome to “Judges Gonna Judge,” where our MMA Junkie staff panel revisits the most controversial decision that occurred over the weekend.
This week, we take a closer look at the UFC 282 co-main bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a lightweight matchup between [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag].
The first two rounds of the fight were largely spent on the feet in striking exchanges, while the third round slowed to a clinch battle against the fence. The judges rendered their decision and all three scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Pimblett.
Unofficial judges hearing the result were not in agreement with the cageside officials, as many immediately began calling the result a robbery. Some even suggested foul play as they thought Gordon clearly did enough to win the fight. Media members overwhelmingly saw the fight for Gordon, as 23 of the 24 scores submitting on MMA Decisions were in his favor.
Official judges Doug Crosby and Ron McCarthy turned in identical scorecards, giving Pimblett the first and second rounds. Judge Chris Lee arrived at a 29-28 score, but he saw the second and third rounds for Pimblett.
MMA Junkie’s Matthew Wells, Farah Hannoun and Simon Samano put on their judging hats and break the fight down by each round.
If you need a refresher on the official scoring criteria before we dive in, you can check it out here.