UFC 308 is off to a rocky start as Rinat Fakhretdinov was awarded a unanimous decision win over Carlos Leal in their welterweight clash. Although the Russian native managed to take down Leal in the opening round, it wasn’t for long. Not to mention the Brazilian out-struck Fakhretdinov in all but the third round, and seemed to have the upper hand throughout the bout.
That is why it came as such a shock to see that the Russian had won a unanimous decision with one judge awarding all three rounds to Fakhretdinov. So bad was the decision that even the commentary team called it out. And Leal, predictably, is devastated.
“I did what I committed to doing! I defeated my opponent! But unfortunately, once again, I couldn’t beat the judges!
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But we remain unshakable as always! It only ends when my heart stops beating!” the Brazilian wrote on his Instagram Story after the bout.
Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Carlos Leal
– Official Scorecards –Hadi Mohammed Ali with the 30-27 card.#UFC #UFC308 #MMATwitter pic.twitter.com/hqFtnWupqe
— Consensus Score (@ConsensusScore) October 26, 2024
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The Brazilian welterweight feels cheated by a decision that some fans are calling the biggest robbery in recent memory. However, he is determined to keep doing what he is doing and make his way up the decision. On the bright side, almost the entire UFC world saw what happened at UFC 308 and is in his corner, and at the very least fans will be paying attention to his subsequent fights. It would also be very interesting to see what Dana White, who isn’t really one to hold his tongue, has to say about it.
‘RDA’ loses to Geoff Neal due to freak injury after Carlos Leal robbed at UFC 308
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Is UFC judging becoming a farce with decisions like Fakhretdinov's win over Leal?
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Another interesting bout played out on the prelim card of UFC 308 as long-time veteran and former champ Rafael dos Anjos lost to #10 ranked Geoff Neal in their welterweight clash. ‘RDA’, it seems, suffered an injury that led to the end of the bout so soon. Not that the fight was going in the Brazilian veteran’s favor anyway. Moreover, the travesty took place on the former lightweight champion’s birthday.
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The fight was being dominated by Neal from the first bell as he not only overwhelmingly outstruck the former champ, but also knocked him down once before ‘RDA’ managed to get on his feet. But the fight came to an abrupt end shortly after as dos Anjos fell to the ground clutching his left knee after being hit by a sharp left from Neal.
The exact nature of the injury remains unknown at the moment, but based on his reaction, it seems the Brazilian has hurt his knee in some way. This, of course, is a terrible sign for dos Anjos since he is 40 and on a three-fight losing streak with this loss, leading some fans to call for him to finally retire. What are your thoughts on Carlos Leal’s unanimous decision loss at UFC 308? And what does the future hold for ‘RDA’? Tell us in the comment section below!
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Is UFC judging becoming a farce with decisions like Fakhretdinov's win over Leal?