The recently organized UFC 307 concluded smoothly and lived up to the expectations of the UFC buffs. However, nothing in this world is perfect! There were some elite performances showcased at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, but still, they were subjected to a not-so-perfect judgment. Some of the scorecards surprised many veterans and fans and one of the fights that became the topic of discussion was Jose Aldo vs Mario Bautista.

The American combatant took the win with a majority decision which many veterans and audience members felt was a bad one, from the judges. Former UFC Middleweight king Michael Bisping took to his YouTube channel to share his disappointment with the result of the bout. 

Michael Bisping pointed out how UFC judging has gone into shambles

Former featherweight king Jose Aldo sadly walked off after his loss at UFC 307 and had an incredulous look on his face. The legend tried to climb the ranks and perhaps this fight against Mario Bautista was one of the last chances he had for the division gold. The opening round was Bautista’s to conquer but Aldo snatched the second. However, the final round was a testament to why the fans and veterans like Bisping and even Dana White, were angry at the judges.

After the fight, the judges submitted 29-28 scores, with two of them giving the nod to Bautista which led to a split-decision victory for the American. The outcome was outrageous as Bautista failed to secure a takedown on Aldo at the entire fight. On the other hand, Aldo landed solid combinations in all three rounds, making a strong case for victory. 

Bisping spoke about the same disparity that was seen in the octagon compared to what was shown in the scorecards. He exposed the ‘shameful norm’ and said, “It’s such a shame that we got used to this in this sport. It’s just become a norm you know what I mean. That judges get it wrong and we just accept it. Do you know when these fighters are going out there, putting their life on the line? They are sacrificing so much there are so many you know the consequences of winning and losing are massive. Certainly, if it’s a Title Fight. But if it’s a number-one contender matchup. Or maybe you have been on a skid and you lose one then you get caught you know. And not to mention you know the pride of winning the win bonus.”

He declared dejectedly, “We just accept now as a part of the sport that the judges are gonna get it wrong. Which is just insane.” Not only did ‘The Count’ get upset but even Dana White expressed his disdain for the judgment in the post-fight press conference. White declared the judging at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City as “atrocious“.

The UFC CEO expressed his disapproval of referee Dave Seljestad’s decision to halt and separate the fight between Cesar Almeida and Ihor Potieria. White criticized Seljestad for not adhering to the rules properly, echoing similar complaints from Bisping and commentator Daniel Cormier. In his YouTube channel, Cormier also highlighted instances of questionable refereeing judgment in recent UFC cards. 

Daniel Cormier talks about why Jose Aldo lost

While speaking on his YouTube channel ‘DC ‘said, “Mario Bautista and Jose Aldo went to a split decision. Bautista just clenched him, and I get it. It might not be fan-friendly you might not like the way the fight played out. But it was right. Guys controlling the octagon is a former criterion. You have to sustain some damage. You can’t let a guy hold you along the Octagon side the entirety of that round and expect to get a decision by some judges. That honestly did not do a great job tonight. There wasn’t great judging tonight inside of the arena in Salt Lake City. And I think that’s probably the only bad thing I can say about this entire event.” 

The MMA community is abuzz with the controversy with even Conor McGregor adding his voice to the criticism. Dana White was particularly irked with the co-main event title fight between Julianna Pena and Raquel Pennington. Many experts believe that Pennington clinched the first round. But the judges awarded it to Pena, ultimately leading to her victory.

The head honcho expressed his outrage in the post-fight presser. He said, “I thought the judging was atrocious tonight. I will just leave it at that. It was atrocious”. Mystic Mac agreed to this sentiment and posted on his X stating, “That was Jose’s story. Bulls–t decision… This sport is the fan’s sport. Remember this and act accordingly referees, going forward, thank you,”.

Indeed the fans are important in this sport and they too, saw what happened with the judgement. Do you think the judgment was wrong at UFC 307? Let us know in the comments below.