Saturday night, UFC Fight Night 42 went down from Albuquerque, New Mexico. One of the bouts on the main card featured tough lightweights Diego Sanchez and Ross Pearson going to war.
In a crazy turn of events, Sanchez took a questionable decision over Pearson. Despite a heavy consensus that Pearson won the fight 30-27, Sanchez won on two of the judges’ scorecards to earn another UFC victory.
Here is what we learned from their interesting affair.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
The decision. It was so awful that it was laughable.
Pearson landed more strikes. He was more accurate. He did more damage. He did almost everything better and more efficiently.
Never leave it in the hands of the judges. That’s what you should remember.
What We Learned About Pearson
He is really evolving as a fighter. He has stepped his game up in his last few fights, and it got overshadowed by an unjustified loss.
He is a great striker who has rounded off his game nicely. He should be a marketable fighter in the U.K. if he isn’t already.
What We Learned About Sanchez
The car is running out of gas. Sanchez will always be a fan favorite and a lovable wild man, but he hasn’t looked great in years.
He has been gifted some decisions lately and hasn’t looked like the fighter he was earlier in his career. Perhaps he has come to the end of his road.
What’s Next for Pearson?
Pearson shouldn’t move down much here because he won that fight in theory. When the UFC returns to Japan, a bout opposite Japanese legend Takanori Gomi would be an awesome little scrap worth keeping an eye on.
What’s Next for Sanchez?
As Pearson shouldn’t move down from his loss, Sanchez shouldn’t move up much. Perhaps a bout against fellow longtime UFC vet Mark Bocek would provide a good measuring stick for him going forward.
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