As far as we can remember, there have been a number of controversial decisions in the UFC. Referees have stopped bouts prematurely or not soon enough. Fighters have performed unconventionally and changed our expectations of them in and out of the ring….
As far as we can remember, there have been a number of controversial decisions in the UFC. Referees have stopped bouts prematurely or not soon enough. Fighters have performed unconventionally and changed our expectations of them in and out of the ring. But some of the strongest debate about controversial decisions for MMA enthusiasts surrounds those that have been handed down from the judges.
The omniscient group stands ready to offer their proper judgment of the performance should the fighters not accomplish this themselves. Like all decisions from authority, this doesn’t mean we have to agree, especially when the performance is superb or terribly lacking and when a place of prominence is on the line.
Or when we all think they’re wrong.
It’s for this reason that UFC president Dana White is known for his maxim “Don’t leave it in the hands of the judges.” Nevertheless, a number of fights go directly to the judges, but the opinions don’t stop there. Controversial decisions oftentimes throw the entire MMA community into disarray for a while after they were given. If the fight is for a title, these decisions can also weigh heavy on the respective division and land on the shoulders of both fighters until things are settled by whatever means.
Let’s take a look at seven of the most controversial decisions in championship fights handed down by the judges in the history of UFC.
As Thiago Tavares is the latest withdrawn fighter from the fight against Tony Ferguson at UFC on FOX 3, UFC officials announced today that Michael Johnson will replace Tavares in the lightweight bout. Though it’s likely that Ferguson will be happy to f…
As Thiago Tavares is the latest withdrawn fighter from the fight against Tony Ferguson at UFC on FOX 3, UFC officials announced today that Michael Johnson will replace Tavares in the lightweight bout.
Though it’s likely that Ferguson will be happy to finally settle into a fight with a sure opponent, things have only gotten more promising for the TUF winner since he made the card headlined by Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. Before Tavares suffered an injury, Ferguson was slated to fight Dennis Hallman who also withdrew due to injury.
Now Johnson will enter the ring with much more to prove than Ferguson, who is undefeated in his brief UFC career.
The TUF alumni have had nearly opposite experiences since beginning their respective UFC careers.
Since Johnson’s loss at TUF 12 in 2010, his performance has been unstable. His record in the UFC stands at 2-2, and that’s about the extent of consistency he’s displayed. Nevertheless, he is coming off of a win against Shane Roller in which Johnson repeatedly seemed close to defeat. His persistence paid off, however, and he picked up the needed win in a fight that proved we can’t count Johnson out yet.
Ferguson, on the other hand, defeated veteran fighter Yves Edwards in a thrilling bout that ended in a win by unanimous decision. That final decision has been oft-contested since, but there’s little denying Ferguson’s display of impressive tenacity and heavy blows that have remained his signature since he pummeled his way through TUF 13.
It’s probable that Johnson has continued developing well since his win over Roller, for his maturation as a fighter was one of the most exciting results of that fight. But considering what Ferguson learned in his fight against Edwards, especially about the weakness of his defense, there is a great expectation that Ferguson spent a good amount of time working on slipping and dodging.
Johnson is a good striker himself, but given that likelihood that Ferguson has developed some degree of dynamic defense to support his iron chin, the odds are highly in Ferguson’s favor to win this one.
While the UFC’s youngest titleholder Jon “Bones” Jones has conquered everything thrown his way, he still has more to prove in order to establish his place as the best fighter of all-time.The good news for Jones is that he’s on his way…
While the UFC’s youngest titleholder Jon “Bones” Jones has conquered everything thrown his way, he still has more to prove in order to establish his place as the best fighter of all-time.The good news for Jones is that he’s on his way to achieving just that.
His upcoming fight against Rashad Evans at UFC 145 on April 21 will be a proving ground for this, as many consider Evans—Jones’ ex-training partner—to be one of the most formidable opponents he will meet in the ring.
In Jones’ short career, however, proving his dominance hasn’t been a problem. In fact, it has revealed a unique career that can easily place him as the best the sport has seen.
When Jones first began his MMA career, his unique fighting style was a trademark that seemed doomed to fail. He was a junior college national champion wrestler and a standout Greco-Roman All-American in high school, but in the MMA arena this decorated wrestler displayed a striking style that appeared unorthodox, arcane and completely natural. As unpredictable as the product was, it worked.
Since his UFC debut in 2008, Jones has been tested against whatever strength the organization can offer. He met Stephan Bonnar, a notorious striker himself, and Jones controlled the fight with his wrestling without sacrificing the effectiveness of his strikes, even as he noticeably tired by the final round.
In the end, this composite style won Jones the fight by unanimous decision. He went on to defeat Vladimir Matyushenko, a Soviet national wrestling champion, by TKO after wrestling Matyushenko to the ground and pummeling him with elbows.
Jones had made it clear that he was adaptable, and he continues proving that he can meld his own strengths and those of his opponents to maintain a singular fighting style. Not only has he been able to understand his opponents’ tactics, but he appears to learn them best during a fight. The result is a fighter who evolves with every passing instant of a bout.
His next fights proved this again and again as he defeated some of the UFC’s top names, including Ryan Bader, Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson. That random style began to seem more calculated with each fight.
Jones demonstrated increased physical and stylistic comfort in the ring, which was unavoidably reminiscent of Anderson Silva. In all of these fights, Jones wrestled well, struck well, and exercised a high degree of creativity.
Jones’ latest victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 evinced something more. Machida understood early on that a fighter who could get inside Jones’ reach and pursue him during a retreat will take the advantage. What’s more is that Machida’s method worked, and in the first round, Jones took a hit—likely the most powerful he’d taken in his last few fights.
After that, it took only one round for Jones to decipher the mechanics of the fight. Midway through Round 2, Jones got inside, wrestled Machida to the ground and struck with his elbow. By the end of the round, he caught Machida with a left hook as he moved in and finished the fight with a guillotine.
Afterward, Jones admitted the aggregate challenge of the fight: “He’s just smart, man. He kicked really hard. He knew his range. He has great tactics, and he was definitely a very tough puzzle.”
The fight against Machida cemented an assumption of many: Jones’ aptitude for fighting will allow him to be as great as he desires.
While he has proven his fighting is effective, Jones continues to deal with the greater psychological element of being a revered fighter. He has successfully defended his championship twice against veteran light heavyweights. His upcoming fight with Evans is no different.
As Ryan McGee points out, the UFC has been producing some dramatic fights by allowing competition between fighters who openly display indignation based on their past relationships. This tension isn’t new in sport and, it can be argued, adds a certain seductive element for both the close and fringe communities of each sport.
But the fighter like Jones who transcends this all-too-human component, who understands and reacts only to the most fundamental architecture of the sport itself, will be the athlete who can become the best. Arguably, this is where Jones shines.
In numerous interviews, tweets and blogs, including some of the latest from Jones and Evans, there is a sense that the anxiety is unequal. While Evans is looking to get back at Jones or teach him a lesson, Jones is looking to conquer the sport.
On the other side of that talk is the praise he receives. Recently, Anderson Silva said that no Brazilian could beat Jones. Silva, Jones’ fellow in debates about the best current pound-for-pound fighter, has also expressed persistent disinterest in fighting the light heavyweight champion.
But Jones knows, like all fighters, that he’s not unbeatable. There are also a number of fighters in the division to challenge him, largely because he’s not been in the game long and any of them will welcome a rematch.
Jones lost the charm of an underdog long ago; now we simply wait to see how far he can take it and when he’ll fall. The community set against him is simply further evidence that he is becoming the best.
His introduction to the UFC community and its lasting impression means his record won’t immediately affect his presence in the ring. Therefore, the complete game plan since the beginning hasn’t changed and doesn’t have to. He only needs to remain adaptable, adroit and true to his goal to achieve the highest eminence as a fighter.
The end of his career will reveal this constant evolution that is well-founded on his early dominance and continuously manifests itself with each fight. When that day comes, Jones is likely to be the best fighter we’ve seen.
Talks about a Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva “superfight” have resurfaced, giving MMA fans another opportunity to discuss the possibility. As wonderful as it sounds, I’m not convinced it’ll be what we expect, and I think there are mor…
Talks about a Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva “superfight” have resurfaced, giving MMA fans another opportunity to discuss the possibility. As wonderful as it sounds, I’m not convinced it’ll be what we expect, and I think there are more appropriate and equally exciting options.
In a recent press conference hosted by the UFC in Calgary, St-Pierre addressed this possibility in response to a fan’s question.
Right now I’m focusing on one thing at a time, focusing on my knee. Once my knee will be one hundred percent I will focus on getting back to my title. When I get back to my title, depending on what’s going on, I might have to take another fight. If stars are aligned and everything, maybe we’ll see one day in the near future what’s going to happen. Depending if I’m going to go up, or is he’s going to come down, this is too far away to think about it right now. But it’s something that could happen, of course.
I think we can all agree that this fight itself promises to be monumental. These two fighters superlatively demonstrate that finesse that diehard MMA fans understand is an implicit part of the sport. Both have dominated their weight classes and we’ve learned a lot from them, even from their losses. Most importantly for the UFC, St-Pierre and Silva carry celebrity, especially in their respective homelands, that will guarantee viewers and generate hype beyond the MMA community.
For Silva, the fight is favorable. White admitted at the same press conference that it was unreasonable to ask Silva to drop weight and meet St-Pierre at 170 lbs., so that burden is lifted. Even fighting at a catchweight will likely play in Silva’s favor given his style and strategy. Moreover, it would take pressure off of him to fight Jon Jones, a possibility Silva is uninterested in.
But for St-Pierre, gaining weight for a catchweight or middleweight fight might be even more demanding than before as he recovers from knee surgery, especially given his unabated physical maintenance regardless of his fight schedule. One of the things that has made him so phenomenal is the comfort he demonstrates in his athleticism. I imagine this is one of the first things he’ll measure upon his return, but it will best be measured against his past performance as a welterweight.
Even if there is some promise for St-Pierre to meet Silva should St-Pierre successfully defeat title-holder Carlos Condit, the previously barren welterweight division now has a number of ready and promising contenders, including the winner of the upcoming fight between Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann. There’s also Nick Diaz, and while his future in the UFC is questionable as his suspension for marijuana use is served and controverted, there’s no doubt a fight between Diaz and St-Pierre will be in the works if all is settled. And while the welterweight division is likely to stay competitive in St-Pierre’s absence, his fight with Silva is impossible without defeating Condit. As the defending champion of that welterweight division, St-Pierre will have a good schedule for some time.
St-Pierre’s presence will no doubt strengthen the welterweight division; part of the appeal of any weight class is the presence of a worthy champion and equally respectable competitors. Though not pitting St-Pierre against Silva won’t help the struggling middleweight division, moving St-Pierre out of the welterweight division isn’t likely to provide a long-term fix for either of them.
A better solution lies in Silva vs. Jones. Despite Silva’s persistent refusal to even consider a fight with Jones, Silva’s success as a light heavyweight and Jones’s dominance of the division make this a natural fit for both fighters and an equally lucrative bout for UFC. That this could be accomplished more easily and quickly than St-Pierre and Silva make this all the more attractive.
Beside all of this, the result won’t calm the surrounding debate about who is the better fighter. I, like all MMA enthusiasts, realize the best measure for such things lies in placing two fighters in a cage and seeing what happens. But both fighters in this case are masters as they stand, and the result of the fight will likely destroy the career of the defeated.
Naturally, that kind of fall is a necessary part of sport, and both of these men are subject to that possibility. But therein lies the costs of creating a superfight. If Sonnen defeats Silva at UFC 147, it’ll still take much more to diminish Silva’s presence. Similarly, St-Pierre’s loss to Matt Serra in 2007 was a shock that took less than a year to dismiss as anomalous. To manufacture this risk, however, may undermine the allure surrounding Silva and St-Pierre in their current positions.
If we set aside the prospect of St-Pierre vs. Silva, the welterweight division will have time to showcase all of its talent. In the meantime, Silva may have to reconsider a bout with Jones to avoid a middleweight stalemate.
Still, if the fight does happen, I’ll happily set aside my reason and watch the event with due excitement and awe. Furthermore, if the fighters want it, then give it to ‘em. From where we stand now, though, my concern is that we won’t walk away from that event gaining what we hoped.
While Rich Franklin is getting ready for UFC 148, his mind may be far, far in the future. In an interview with MMAWeekly Radio, Franklin spoke about his good recovery from a shoulder injury and his workout in preparation for the upcoming middleweight f…
While Rich Franklin is getting ready for UFC 148, his mind may be far, far in the future.
In an interview with MMAWeekly Radio, Franklin spoke about his good recovery from a shoulder injury and his workout in preparation for the upcoming middleweight fight against Cung Le. Not only does he feel good about the fight, but the move back down to middleweight seems to be a welcome change, especially after a history of moving between middleweight and light heavyweight.
“You don’t really have a home,” Franklin says. “Your body is constantly having to adjust to different weights, so this should help stabilize things for me. Hopefully, this is where I’ll finish my career.”
To Franklin, that career still includes a run for the middleweight title:
That would be my Cinderella story. It would be great. I had one chance at that and fighting in my hometown and all that kind of stuff to regain my title, swing and a miss, strike one. I moved up to 205 and never really quite put things together at 205, swing and a miss, strike two. So hopefully this would be the way to end it.
While Franklin’s title fight won’t happen anytime soon, UFC 148 is likely to be a similar rallying point for a few of the biggest names in UFC who are returning from losses, including the light heavyweight winner between Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz. The same may be said for Franklin’s opponent, Cung Le, who is coming off of his November ’11 loss to Wanderlei Silva.
Perhaps the greater question beyond a simple victory in this fight, the one that will determine Franklin’s potential route to a middleweight title fight, is whether or not the UFC will be interested in investing in it. According to Franklin, the organization proved once already that they had little interest in keeping him at 185. But given his work at 205, as hard to decipher as it may be (he has won 3-of-6 light heavyweight fights since his middleweight victory over Travis Lutter in 2008), a move to a more comfortable weight is promising.
Moreover, a rematch against Anderson Silva could prove interesting, especially with the implicit understanding that Franklin has Silva penciled in as part of that title run. It’s hard to argue that Franklin can win a rematch, but if Franklin’s performance from now on is satisfactory enough, more than a few fans may favorably receive the bout.
Regardless, this makes the upcoming Franklin vs. Le fight that much more important. It’ll likely be a good stand-up match between the strikers, regardless of the victor. But if it proves to be an exciting victory for Franklin, his Cinderella story may happen yet.
As Thiago Tavares is the latest withdrawn fighter from the fight against Tony Ferguson at