Issue 111

February 2014

Think GSP-Hendricks was the worst decision ever? You ain’t even close. Fighters Only presents 12 of the most controversial decisions in the history of mixed martial arts 

One of the most heavily-debated mixed martial arts decisions in years, Georges St Pierre’s split points victory over Johny Hendricks even saw UFC president Dana White go into a post-fight press conference meltdown during which he railed against the quality of judging that’s ‘ruining’ the sport. And he certainly wasn’t alone, as plenty of observers agreed with him.  

However, just as many couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. Realistically, the result, hinging on interpretations of the statistically close first round, was hardly a robbery. In fact, when compared to some of the sport’s true horror decisions it’s almost inconsequential by comparison. 

Want some genuinely awful decisions from MMA’s colorful history? Then try this dirty dozen from MMA’s rich yet recent past that silenced arenas and brought us all to question the qualifications of the officials involved. And yes, before you ask, Mr Cecil Peoples does get a mention or two. Here’s a Fighters Only guide to 12 of MMA’s most controversial judges decisions…

Bellator 41 - Joe Warren vs. Marcos Galvao - April 16th 2011

This truly preposterous verdict saw Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren take a unanimous decision over desperately unlucky Nova Uniao ace Galvao in a non-title, catchweight clash.  

Obviously taking the first two rounds by neutralizing Warren’s world-class Greco-Roman wrestling and punishing him with uppercuts and some brutal knees to the face, the Brazilian was clearly up 20-18. 

He lost the third, being taken down, controlled and pounded on, but a more obvious 29-28 score you’re unlikely to see, ever. Yet bizarrely, two of the judges’ cards gave it to Warren 29-28 and another, surely a raging incompetent, gave the clearly bemused American all three rounds. 

UFC on FX 2 - Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall - Mar 3rd 2012

The very first flyweight fight in UFC history, and title tournament semi-final, was a great showcase of just how entertaining the 125lb’ers can be. Sadly, it was also a showcase of just how bad officials can be at the very basics of their job, like writing down numbers.

After two close rounds, Ian McCall gave Demetrious Johnson such a fierce third-round beating that some considered it a 10-8. Most people felt McCall had won but that isn’t why the fight made this list. Judge Sal D’Amato gave the last round 10-8 to McCall, making the fight a majority draw (the other judges had it 29-29 and a 29-28 win for Johnson).

However, D’Amato’s ‘8’ was mistranscribed to the tabulating sheet as a ‘9’, seemingly giving the fight to Johnson. By the time the mistake was uncovered it was too late to implement the special rule in place that allowed a fourth round in the event of, yes, a draw. You couldn’t make it up. 

Bellator 31 - Zoila Frausto vs. Jessica Aguilar - Sep 30th 2010

Jessica Aguilar (16-4) has few blemishes on her record and really, really should have one less, given the way she was robbed in September 2010. 

‘Jag’ was the aggressor but the bigger Zoila Frausto sneaked a quiet opening round, but Aguilar came back and landed some good right hands in the second, doing enough to win the round. And it was in the third where she really took over, repeatedly bashing and bloodying Frausto with punches to the face. 

Commentator Jimmy Smith (who had it 29-28 to Aguilar) noted it all came down to those first two rounds. Yet somehow, two judges gave Frausto the third and scored the fight 30-27 in her favor. The other went for a far more reasonable 30-27 to a completely shocked Aguilar.  

UFC Live 3 - Martin Kampmann vs. Diego Sanchez - Mar 3rd 2011

This decision hugely divided opinion on the night. Dana White was fine with it while the usually calm Ariel Helwani labeled it a ‘robbery’. After a big first round in which he floored Diego Sanchez, Martin Kampmann had a tougher time but surely a clear advantage in striking, and stuffing over 90% of Sanchez’s constant takedown attempts should have earned him the win? A ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus that was planned as $40,000, then upped to $60,000 and then finally $160,000 should have nicely softened the blow for Kampmann after being judged the loser 29-28 on all three judges’ cards. And for Sanchez may have soothed the pain of finishing the fight looking like he’d been in several consecutive car accidents. 

Pride Bushido 3 - Ryan Gracie vs. Ikuhisha Minowa - May 23rd 2004

The troubled Ryan Gracie, who died in a Sao Paulo police cell in 2007, had an average fighting career. Going 5-2, he should have been 4-3 considering his outrageous split-decision win over soon-to-be Japanese cult favorite Ikuhisa Minowa. Main eventing the show, Yokohama fight fans went home with a truly foul taste in their mouths as the out-of-shape Gracie, who started strong and faded fast was gifted the verdict despite being penalized with a red card for a blatant foul (kicking Minowa while the referee was separating them) which was supposed to count when choosing a winner. Apparently not this time.

UFC 119 Sean Sherk vs. Evan Dunham -Sep 25th 2010

Easily the best fight of the night’s action was also by far the most controversial. The undefeated Evan Dunham’s bout with former UFC 155lb champion Sean Sherk opened with an all-action first round where Dunham came close with a guillotine, but Sherk bloodied him with elbows. Dunham solidly won the second with his takedown defense and more varied striking before flooring Sherk early in the third and going on to very clearly win a tremendously exciting round. Yet Cecil Peoples, who features prominently on lists like these, was one of two judges who somehow gave Sherk the second round, tipping the massively unpopular verdict (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) in the Minnesota wrestler’s favor. 

Sengoku 9 -Michihiro Omigawa vs. Marlon Sandro - Aug 2nd 2009

Meeting in the semi-final of Sengoku’s featherweight tournament, Michihiro Omigawa and Marlon Sandro battled for three rounds with the Brazilian apparently winning all three. Omigawa’s main contribution to the fight seemed to be stubbornly taking punches, but, bizarrely, two judges scored the fight a 30-30 draw and the other gave it to Sandro 30-29. All those 10-10 rounds alone suggest poor judging, but with the final due to take place later that night, a winner had to be declared and those two (Japanese, it might be noted) judges who previously couldn’t separate the pair chose to put Omigawa into the championship match where he ironically dropped a much closer decision to Masanori Kanehara thanks to the same rule. 

UFC 104 - Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua - Oct 24th 2009

One of the most appalling decisions in UFC history robbed ‘Shogun’ Rua of the light heavyweight title, for a while at least. He set the record straight in a rematch seven months later, smashing Lyoto Machida to first-round defeat. But even on his first attempt he did a superb job of outstriking the elusive champion, making particularly great use of leg kicks. That was the overwhelming view of the journalists in the press row, the commentary team, the live crowd, Dana White and the fans at home. Yet all three judges somehow still managed to score it 48-47 for the champion.  

How, may never be fully or satisfactorily explained although one of them, Cecil Peoples, famously claimed later that essentially, Rua’s leg kicks ‘don’t count’ in scoring as they ‘can’t finish’ a fight. Anyone can have an off-night but with judges like that, and going into this fight Peoples already had a poor reputation, maybe fighters really do need to listen to Dana White and never leave it in the hands of the officials. 

UFC tuf 12 finale - Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia - Dec 4th 2010

A truly awful, inexplicable decision, this one dismayed UFC officials so much they paid the unfortunate Nam Phan his win bonus even though two of the judges had somehow seen the fight 29-28 in favor of the flailing, mostly ineffective Leonard Garcia.

One judge actually got it right, giving Phan all three rounds in the first live, televised fight of the UFC’s 145lb featherweight division.

Setting Joe Rogan off with an on-air judging rant, Adelaide Byrd and Tony Weeks’ scorecards were so at odds with the fight seemingly everyone else watching had seen – as Phan hurt Garcia in every round and was simply far more effective throughout – that this fight has become one of the sport’s prime examples of a dodgy decision. 

UFC 75 - Matt Hamill vs. Michael Bisping -Sep 8th 2007

Over a year after they were the standout characters on TUF season three, both Michael Bisping (the light heavyweight winner) and Matt Hamill were undefeated, but Hamill was still raw and relied entirely on wrestling and brute strength. Bisping was expected to handle him with ease and landed more punches over the three rounds. But Hamill got several takedowns and caught the Brit with some clubbing punches. Hamill seemed to edge the first while the second was up for debate and Bisping finished strong with a good third. It’s certainly not the outright robbery it’s gained the reputation of being, and Bisping’s soaring popularity today may have seen a different reaction. But at the time his split decision victory was heavily critisized.

Pride 29 - Quinton Jackson vs. Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua - Feb 20th 2005

Widely regarded as the biggest judging rip-off in Pride’s decade-long history, ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s split-decision victory over ‘Ninja’ Rua wasn’t as bad as some of the other fights on this list but when the decision was announced, Jackson said: “I didn’t win that,” and tried to hand the disconsolate Rua the trophy he’d just been awarded. Exhausted by the end, both men took the fight on short notice and it showed in their performances. Jackson threw Rua around but the Brazilian was busier, more aggressive and landed the better strikes. And under the Pride judging criteria, should have done enough to win.